It's all about living life
by Lady Snowflake
Summary: Stephanie, Ranger, Joe and friends all take a good look at their lives and make some important decisions
1. Chapter 1

**Challenge #****79:**** A Mistake**  
**Author:**** Ann (snowflakesandchrystals)**  
**Title:**** Questions asked and answered**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G? Maybe PG  
**Spoilers/Warnings:**** None (but it's my first fanfic…****J**

**Questions asked and answered**

Stephanie looked out of the bedroom window in the small house she and Joe had occupied for the last couple of years. She wondered: had she known then what she knew now, would she still have made the same decision? Would she have said "yes" to Joe's proposal, to Joe's wishes, to Joe? Would she still have ended up here in this house, feeling the way she did: lonely, restless…… and completely bored out of her mind most of the time.

It had started innocent enough. First she moved in with him, this time giving up her apartment for good. Then slowly, after the wedding, things had changed. Joe had asked her to take cooking classes. And she had said "yes". She realized now that she had said "yes" for the wrong reason: she said "yes" because he had _asked_ her (in stead of his previous demanding) and not because she actually wanted to learn cooking. Then he had _asked_ her to stay Fridays at home, just so they would have more time in the weekends that didn't need to be spend on cleaning and washing and so on. Again, she had said "yes" to this request, because she liked spending time with him, not because she wanted to give up work and _definitely_ not because she wanted to do more housework. Wrong reasons again, now that she thought about it. And then, 3 months ago, the BIG question was _asked:_ Joe would like for them to have children. Both of them were in their thirties, and fertility didn't last forever, so now would be a perfect moment. They were settled down, they had some money, they could afford it. And again, she had said "yes". And she realized now that she had said "yes" because she agreed with his reasoning, but not because she actually wanted children. She just didn't. The reasons that Joe put forward were perfectly good reasons, IF you wanted children. But Stephanie didn't. She wanted her life back.

When was the last time that she had a crazy day, a true "Bombshell Bounty Hunter" day? A day that made her feel like she was alive, even if she didn't always like the way things seemed to literally explode around her? When was the last time she came home, trousers torn, unidentifiable stuff in her hair, but the satisfaction that another FTA was safely locked up again? Jeez, she couldn't even remember the last time that she had attracted a crazy person who would break into her apartment at night. Most bad guys seemed to have no wish to enter a cops' house… (Those guys obviously didn't know what fun was all about) And she couldn't remember the last time that she needed to call Ranger to help her out.

Ranger… He hadn't been in contact with her since she had quit working for Vinnie all together. That was 3 months ago, since they were trying to get pregnant. And before that, they had spoken and seen each other less and less. God, she missed him! She missed his lifestyle, his apartment, his shower gel, she missed everything that she knew about him. But he didn't seem to miss her. He had let the contact slip just as easily as she had.

And now she stood here, in front of the bedroom window, hugging herself in stead of being hugged by either of the men who once made her life so difficult. She had just started her period, and she had sighed in relieve. Not pregnant again. She felt extremely guilty about her relief, because Joe would be extremely disappointed. She would have to tell him tonight, when he came back from work. And she realized that she had a couple of other things to tell him as well. She needed to become Stephanie again, and not Mrs. Morelli. She loved him, but she didn't love her life or herself at the moment.

She realized her mistakes had been plentiful. She returned to her original question that started her thoughts: had she known then what she knew now, would she still have made the same decision? And now she had her answer ready.

(I'm hoping to continue this story in the future, but let me know if you feel it has potential!)


	2. Chapter 2

**Challenge #80: A list**  
**Author: Ann (chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Title: Home is where… **  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17) G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: 2nd part after 'questions asked and answered' (challenge # 79)**

**Summary: Ranger is doing an inventory of his life (song fic)**

**Home is where… **

With a deep sigh Ranger relaxed into the nice first class seat of the airplane. He just finished a long week of travelling and doing business in all of his offices around the country. Rangeman was negotiating a couple of big deals with several new clients, and he had wanted to supervise them all personally. 'Control freak' he thought to himself, and rewarded himself with a small smile for his judgement. 'Mr. Manoso, would you like something to drink before takeoff?' the stewardess asked him. He looked at her. The last thing that he wanted now was being continuously interrupted by young hormonal women. He had planned to use the flight to catch up on some much needed sleep, but during the years he had discovered that when you were a good looking man and travelling alone in first class, stewardesses felt the strong need to 'take good care' of him, which could have been fun if he would have been interested in that sort of thing. He wasn't, well to be quite honest, not anymore. The stewardess looked at him expectantly and he saw that she was a little bit older than the average 25 year old, more around 40 or so. She looked kindly at him, and he hoped that he could make his message clear without being blunt. 'No, thank you' he said. 'Would you like something else?' she asked him. 'No, I'm just want some eh… uninterrupted sleep' while he looked at her directly, hoping to send the right signals. He hoped he hadn't been too harsh. She smiled friendly at him and said: 'No problem, I will instruct the crew so that you will not be disturbed unnecessary. If you would like something later on, just push the button. Enjoy your flight, mr. Manoso' He smiled thankfully at her and said 'thank you'.

After takeoff he settled in and put the headset in his ears for the radio. He usually listened to something classical in planes to relax, but while he was channel surfing he heard the soft opening tones of a song and decided to listen on. He closed his eyes and focused on the lyrics.

_Another summer day  
Has come and gone away  
In __Paris__ and __Rome__  
But I wanna go home  
Mmmmmmmm_

He was looking forward to going home. Tonight he would drive the Porsche back to his house, 'the batcave' as the girls in the office called it. He smiled at that thought. Even though he was tired as hell and the plane would land somewhere in the middle of the night, he looked forward to sleeping in his own bed again.

_Maybe surrounded by  
A million people I  
Still feel all alone  
I just wanna go home  
Oh I miss you, you know_

Thinking about the office brought to think about Stephanie, and her absence from the office. He missed her. She made him feel at home in Trenton. All his life he had been 'the odd one out', being different from most. It had been a conscious choice most of the time, but it got lonely occasionally. Maybe there couldn't be a greater difference between two people as between him and Stephanie, but they were both the same in a way. They did not fit into a box. Although… He had seen the changes in Stephanie's life, how she had become more and more like the other Burg women. And he didn't feel that she looked happy about it lately.

_And I've been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you  
Each one a line or two  
"I'm fine baby, how are you?"  
Well I would send them but I know that it's just not enough  
My words were cold and flat  
And you deserve more than that_

Often he had thought about talking to her, writing her a letter, anything at all to get her to open her eyes and see that what she was doing. That she was becoming the thing she always had disliked most: a Burg housewife. But he was in no position to talk to her about that. He had increased the distance between them considerably after she had moved in with Morelli. To her he had said that he didn't want to 'upset' anybody (meaning Morelli) and to his surprise she had accepted it very easily. If he was honest with himself he knew that he had done it to protect himself. He felt his heart crack when she told him about the proposal and completely break when she told him that she had accepted.

_Another aeroplane  
Another sunny place  
I'm lucky I know  
But I wanna go home  
Mmmm, I've got to go home_

He smiled ironically at himself. Look at him, he was a very successful, good looking, thirty something business man. He could get almost any woman he wanted. And he could make the list of his achievements in life much longer if he wanted to. But here he was, sitting in a plane thinking about the one woman that he actually wanted, and she ruthlessly had married someone else. And he still couldn't get over her, he still longed to see her, to touch her. Way to go, Manoso!

_Let me go home  
I'm just too far from where you are  
I wanna come home_

Every time that he travelled around the country for business, he always made sure that the guys at the office kept him up to date about Stephanie's latest adventures. The calls had become less and less, because she had been doing less and less work for Vinnie. Tank had told him one night to 'nock it off and move on' but he couldn't. He only felt at home when she was around, being her unique self.

_And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life  
It's like I just stepped outside  
When everything was going right  
And I know just why you could not  
Come along with me  
But this was not your dream  
But you always believe in me_

He had hoped that she would have stayed working for Rangeman after the whole Spiros/Stiva episode, but Morelli had wasted no time in getting her to quit. Ranger had big plans for her at Rangeman, increase her skills, expand her job, let her fly… But that was _his_ dream for her. She had trusted him enough to accept the job, she believed he would keep her safe and he really thought that she had liked the work, but maybe that was just because he wanted that so bad, for her and for himself.

_Another winter day has come  
And gone away  
And even __Paris__ and __Rome__  
And I wanna go home  
Let me go home_

He felt cold inside since Connie had called him to say that Stephanie had quit for good to get a baby. It had sent chills down his spine and his heart had closed. He felt that he had lost her for good now that she wanted to carry Morelli's child.

_And I'm surrounded by  
A million people I  
Still feel alone  
Oh, let me go home  
Oh, I miss you, you know_

Lately he had been considering to leave Trenton for good. It had been hard (to say the least) to watch his Babe turn into a Cupcake. But seeing her with _his_ child would finish him off. He didn't think he could cope with that. Maybe he should start considering selling his house. The house where he thought that he and Stephanie would… He sighed again. 'Let's not go there' he said to himself

_Let me go home  
I've had my run  
Baby, I'm done  
I gotta go home  
Let me go home  
It will be all right  
I'll be home tonight  
I'm coming back home_

God, how much he wanted Stephanie now, to just be there at his house waiting for him. To hold him, to make love to him. To give him a home… Something he only had when he had been much younger. He felt really tired. Even though he loved the business game, sitting in offices and meetings all week made him feel more tired than doing a couple of 'redecoration jobs' at night. Redecoration jobs… That word made him think of Stephanie again, because before her participation in one, the guys had used very different words to describe that line of work. Fuck, he was getting soft! Here he was getting all mushy inside over a song. He needed to get his act together, Tank had been right all those months ago. So he made a decision for himself and realised that he would have to call Tank first thing in the morning.

**(Song: "Home" by MICHAEL BUBLE)**

Please review! I hope to turn this into a longer story, using challenges as themes for each chapter. Please be patient to find out what decisions Ranger (and Stephanie in 'Questions asked and answered (challenge #79)) has made. I will try not to keep you waiting too long!


	3. Chapter 3

**Challenge #81: Heat**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Title: Feel good or bad**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G?  
**Spoilers/Warnings: 3rd part in my series, started at #79 and takes place in the future, so after EOT**

**Summary: Morelli tries to deal with Stephanie's decisions**

**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Feel good or bad**

Morelli sat behind his desk in the station. It had been a slow day, and he had had a lot of time to do some thinking. He hated it, he really had hoped that he would have an extremely busy day, so that he DIDN'T have to think about the implications of his conversation with Stephanie yesterday night. Why did she have to say the things that she did?

The radio was on, and he heard the host say something about a new European talent writing this wonderful sourly sweet song. Sour was a very good way to describe his mood, he thought, VERY sour.

_In my dreams there are some things that I can't describe  
I have to speak about or I would keep this lie  
when it gets me down oh then I get turned around  
you stabbed me in the back, is this something you enjoy, something you enjoy _

He always had dreams about his life, his life together with Stephanie. He had told her about that long ago, and when she accepted his proposal he assumed that she had accepted these dreams as her own. And up until last night he had no indication that he had been wrong assuming that. But now he felt like she had stabbed him in the back. She had told him that first of all she was going back to work fulltime (including Fridays and even weekends if necessary), and secondly that she didn't want to have children. When the words reached his ears, he had felt as though a knife was shoved in his back.

_Tell me why do I feel so bad?  
I want to hurt you deep in your heart  
I feel so bad  
I thought we were in real, real love _

He couldn't help it, even though he still loved her lots, he wanted to hurt her. He wanted to make her feel what she had done to him, saying those words. To have her feeling that same "stabbed in the back" sensation. How could she do this to him if she really loved him…?

_I feel so bad  
I'm speaking from the inside  
but now I want to fight against it,  
and so you can't make me be hurt _

Being a cop he wasn't used to being in this situation where he could be hurt so easily and so deeply. She had surprised him big time, and he didn't want to ever get a similar surprise in his life again. He had to make sure that he couldn't get hurt like this again, because he couldn't handle this. Fuck, he shouldn't have to handle this. He felt the heat of his anger rising.

_Once as I was naive and silly  
I thought you told the truth  
now I know more about you  
I will not believe in you, believe in you _

Damn it! She had fooled him. She had lulled him into a nice slumber with her Fridays off, cooking classes and their attempts to get pregnant. It had all been a lie! She didn't want to get pregnant, she didn't want to cook and she didn't want to get a baby. And it took her apparently 3 years to find this out at the cost of HIS happiness.

_Tell me why do I feel so bad?  
I want to hurt you deep in your heart  
I feel so bad  
I thought we were in real, real love _

He took a deep sigh, resting his head in his hands. Maybe he was being too irrational about this. Steph seemed really sorry about saying it, and she had said that she felt really guilty about this. That she hadn't done it on purpose, and didn't want to hurt him. Yeah right… But it did hurt and he wanted her to know just how bad.

_ I feel so bad  
I'm speaking from the inside  
but now I want to fight against it,  
and so you can't make me be hurt _

God, this song was getting to him. He smiled weakly at himself, and realized why the song started to get to him so much. It was because in the back of his mind he realized the implications of Steph's little "confession". It would mean that he wouldn't become a parent, he would never see his children grow up, looking like miniatures of him and his Cupcake. He would be back to worrying about her again when she was working. (He had managed to "convince" Vinnie to give her only the really low risk FTA's but somehow he had the feeling that Stephanie wouldn't accept that anymore and demand a full load.) And then there was the little "problem" of her _friendship_ with Ranger… Sometimes he hated that man, just for the way he looked at Steph.

_...when you look at me...will I ever be free?__   
_  
Would he be able to change something so that he would be happy again? Would he be able to tell her about _his_ wishes, since she made hers so VERY clear last night. Thinking about that… Had she actually ever considered what this would do to him, to them?

_Tell me why do I feel so bad?  
I want to hurt you deep in your heart  
I feel so bad  
I thought we were in real, real love _

_I feel so bad  
I'm speaking from the inside  
but now I want to fight against it,  
and so you can't make me be hurt _

He realized that as the song came to an end, so was his musing. He still felt angry at her for dumping this on him the way she did. But he loved her an awful lot, and he realized that above anything else he wanted her to be happy. Wanted her to have the things she valued in life. But he also realized that he wouldn't, no, _couldn't_ give up his happiness and dreams in life… He almost felt good about himself now that he had clarified his feelings, despite feeling so bad. He realized he needed to talk to her as soon as they were both home tonight…

_Hope you enjoyed part 3. Let me know what you think! TBC_

**Song: Feel So Bad - Valentine**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Title: Love me but leave me!**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): PG-13 (I think)  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Part 4 of the series, set after EOT. TEARS AHEAD (but for a good goal)  
Summary: Stephanie comes to terms with Joe's and her decisions**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Love me but leave me!**

With a deep sigh, I got into my car. It was Monday morning, I was going to work again after 3 months of doing other things. Well, quite honestly, of doing absolutely nothing apart from trying to make a baby. This weekend had been hell in a way, but on the other hand I felt relieved that everything was out in the open now. Me and Joe had had some very long conversations this weekend about how we felt and what our dreams and plans for the future were. It had resulted occasionally in a shouting match, but in the end we had reached a couple of very clear conclusions. Mmm, I thought, those conclusions… I turned on the radio, trying to get some distraction from those conclusions. I knew that the results of the "conclusions" would be all over the Burg no later than the end of the week, (hell, probably Tuesday night would be the latest) but that didn't mean that I wouldn't try to ignore them for a little while. I heard the familiar tones of a song that I always had liked. I didn't want to turn off the radio, but it brought my mind straight back to those "conclusions" and the conversations that we had had.

_What's a woman when a man  
__Don't stand by her side?  
__What's a woman when a man  
__Has secrets__ to hide?_

I remembered the start of our conversations. Joe had said that he couldn't accept my wish of _not_ having children and going back to work fulltime and with a full case load. I had answered him.  
"Damn it, Joe, why can't you just support my decisions? This is what I want, this is what I need!"  
"But I cannot live with it, even though I want to make you happy."  
"How do you mean 'you cannot live with it'? You have no choice really…" I felt myself getting very angry at him, feeling hurt and betrayed that he suddenly said this after 3 years of marriage.  
"Cupcake" he said softly, "I realized for myself today that I want nothing more than becoming a father. I want children, I want to raise them, I want to see them grow. I only live once, and I am not getting any younger. I _need_ this in _my_ life" He looked like he felt really bad, but I could also see that he would not change his opinion. That didn't mean that I wouldn't try to change his mind…

_She'll be weak  
__She'll be strong  
__Struggle hard  
__For so long_

"But Joe, you know I have never wanted children. If you wanted children this much, why did you marry me?"  
"I thought that that would change if you would get a little bit older and had a more settled life with me. That you would see that it was possible for you to manage that. That you could be a wonderful mother and have a good life"  
"But Joe, I never _wanted_ that kind of life!"  
"Cupcake… Steph" Uh-oh "Please listen to me, okay. Please let me finish before you respond" MMmmm, should I, should I not, should I, should I not… Decisions, decisions  
"Okay"  
"I realize that I made some mistakes by hoping that you would change. I should have never expected that of you, even though I now realize that deep down I did. I love you so much, you were the only woman that I could imagine having children with, and I suppose that is the reason why I unconsciously wanted you to change… have actively tried to change you. That was wrong…"  
I started to take a breath to answer him, but he held up his hand.  
"No no, wait a moment, I'm not finished yet. You see, even though I am willing to take part of the blame here, you have also led me on by going to cooking classes, by starting to work part-time and so on. And let's not forget that I didn't put a gun to your head when I asked about having children. You said yes to me, and how could I know that that wasn't what you really wanted. You have given me no indication that you weren't happy, that you don't want this. When you told me a couple of days ago that you didn't want children, I felt betrayed by you. I felt that you took away my dream! That you lied to me all this time" Oops, he started to look really angry now. He took a deep breath to calm down and ran a hand trough his hair.  
"Look, we both made mistakes. We cannot change that. But what is important now that we realize the implications of what we have said to each other in the past 2 days…"  
_  
What's a woman when a man  
__(What's a man without a woman?)  
__Don't go by the rule?  
__What's a woman when a man  
__(What's a man without a woman?)  
__Makes her feel like a fool?_

What? Implications? I felt like I had spoken again before thinking when I dumped my decisions on him last week. He apparently had thought about this the whole day and had made his own decisions and reached his own conclusions. Hang on, what was he actually talking about!"What implications" I asked in a little voice. Somehow I got this feeling of impending doom.  
"Stephanie, think about it. You _really_ don't want children and I _really_ do. I would like for you to stay at home, you want to work fulltime. _Any_ job that you would do would have me worried a little bit occasionally, and you choose to be a bounty hunter. This will never work…" He looked me straight into the eye. I felt my world collapse.  
"What are you saying Joe?""I am saying that we should start talking about separation and divorce. We can't go on like this"

_When right  
__Turns to wrong  
__She will try  
__To hold on to the ghosts of the past  
__When love was to last  
__Dreams from the past  
__Faded so fast_

"What! What do you mean? Divorce, what divorce? Why can't we solve this? We have solved all our other problems before, why can't we solve this? Aren't you even willing to try?" I could feel myself getting desperate and really angry. What happened to happily ever after, what happened to in good and bad times, what happened to … us?  
"Cupcake…"  
"DON"T you dare 'cupcake' me now! NOT now!"  
"Steph, please, calm down and think about this. Do you honestly think that there ever will be a time when you will want to have children?"  
"I … uh …" He had me there. I really couldn't see myself as a mother, I just didn't have those feelings, and I couldn't guarantee him that those feelings would ever come to me. He looked at me with quiet eyes, he knew the answer to that question long before I had realized it myself. And he had also realized the implications of my answer.  
"I love you more than enough to never ask you to become a mother against you will. But I hope that you will not expect me to stay childless when that is _my_ _biggest_ wish in life right now." He looked sad and hurt. I felt the same way.  
"Please, I don't blame you, really. It's just that I can't help the way I feel, and neither can you. But we shouldn't fool ourselves that we can make this go away. We love each other and…"  
"Exactly Joe, are you just going to throw that away, just like that? What was it worth to you then, huh? If you can say goodbye so easily apparently!" I felt the anger rise in me again.  
"Cupc… Steph, the last 3 years have been the best of my life, but lately I did notice that you lost your sparkle. And the reason that you lost it is because you changed. Slowly, but it happened all the same. And you changed because of things I asked you to do, but it didn't make you happy. And don't you dare imply that I don't love you! Of course I still love you, don't think that this is easy for me! I do this out of love for you!" That was it, that broke me. Joe pulled me into his arms and just held me. I started crying like my life depended on it… and it really felt like it did. The one thing that I had thought would always be there was starting to go away. I had always thought that our marriage would be forever, but I was wrong.

When I finally calmed down a little I saw that tears had run down his face too. We looked at each other a long time, slowly coming to terms with what had just happened, and what we were starting to accept. That our marriage was coming to an end… The end of an era.

"We will make an appointment with a lawyer for next week, is that okay?"  
"You don't waste much time" I said with a wry half smile.  
"I just don't want to stretch this out any longer. It will hurt us both so much…" I knew he was right, but it hurt like hell all the same.

_All alone__In the dark  
__She will swear  
__He'll never mislead her again_

That night we had just held each other, both unable to fall asleep, but not wanting to talk about it any more. I felt so hurt, but yet I couldn't bring myself to give up my job or to want children. What did that mean? I knew I loved him with all my heart, but I just couldn't betray myself. And I couldn't ask him to betray himself as well. This was one big screwed up situation. I promised myself that I would never put myself in this situation again. I couldn't get hurt like this again, I wouldn't let a men do that to me again.

_All those dreams from the past  
__Faded so fast  
__Ghosts of the past  
__When love was to last_

I didn't really blame Joe… Okay, deep down I did blame him for making me feel this way, but then again, I probably made him feel the same way as well, so I couldn't fight him on it. I felt acceptance growing inside me. Wow, wasn't that a little bit too fast, shouldn't I have been devastated for at least a decade? For God's sake, my marriage just broke up after 3 wonderful years, and it took me about 5 hours to accept? What kind of horrible person was I? Did it mean that the marriage had been meaningless? Surely not! But I just couldn't blame this on someone. Not even myself! Fuck, fuck, fuck.

_All alone__In the dark  
__She will swear cross her heart  
__Never again_

"Joe?"  
"Yes"  
"What does it say about the last 3 years, if we can accept this so easily?"  
"It says that our marriage is so good, filled with so much love, that we are willing to make the biggest sacrifice for each others' happiness"  
"We are one screwed couple if with us showing each other our love means breaking up"  
"Don't ever imply again that this is easy…"  
_  
Cross my heart  
__Never again_

"Joe?"  
"Yes"  
"Friends"  
"Always"

TBC

Song: Vaya Con Dios - What's A Woman


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:  
Chapter 5: Oh God, she's back**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Ranger tells Tanks his decision**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Oh God, she's back  
**(The same Monday that Steph goes back to work)

"Yo"

"Yo yourself"

"You're back. How was business?"

"Good. Can I see you in my office first thing?"

"Okay"

"Listen, the business deals are done. I will sign the final contracts this week. This gives me some time to spend with my daughter. I will leave for Miami on Wednesday and will stay for about one month. You will have the responsibility then."

"Okay."

"Tank…"

"Yes?"

"I don't want to be disturbed at all if not really necessary… not even… not even about Stephanie"

"What brought this on then?" The bastard, Ranger thought, he is smirking inside.

"It's time to move on" More or less the truth. He _had_ to move on, for his own sake. Tank simply nodded.

After a couple of hours, Ranger put the last file on the 'finished' stack, and sighed. Paper work was finished for now, but it felt like that had finished much more than that. He knew that the only way he could move on from Stephanie, emotionally, was to put some distance between them. He hoped that after a month of complete communication silence in an environment where there were no memories of her he would be able to drive away his feelings for her.

His cell phone rang. Connie.

"Yo"

"Hi Ranger. I got some files for you, can you drop by later today?"

"No problem"

"Oh, I got some hot news" Ranger smirked and raised an eyebrow to himself. Since when did Connie think that he was interested in Burg gossip?

"I'm busy"

"You will want to know this" Ranger cringed. He really didn't want to know that Steph was pregnant or something like that.

"Stephanie is…"

"I got to go" Ranger ended the conversation quickly. He knew it was rude, but he just couldn't cope with that right now. He had made his decision, but that didn't mean that it was easy. Shit, he had already agreed to drop by the office today to pick up the files. Mmm, maybe he could send Tank. 'Coward' he thought to himself. He still wondered sometimes how it was possible that a man of his physical strength could be so weak when it came to his feelings. He guessed that his training only taught him to push the feelings away, and not to deal with them. Wonderful, just what he needed.

In the end he decided to go to the office himself, a little bit later in the afternoon so that Lula had hopefully gone home. He had to talk to Vinnie, to tell him about his absence. He would offer him Tank to take care of any high bonds.

"Hi Ranger"

"Connie"

"I've got your files right here"

"Thanks"

He quickly scanned through them. The first two were familiar to him, the third name was new. Probably moved here when the earth became a little too hot under his feet somewhere else. He heard the door open behind him, and started to turn around. The fact that he had stood with his back to the door longer than absolutely necessary showed to him how much he needed to clear his head of his feelings for Stephanie.

"I got him! It was …"

"Babe!" Oh my god, what was she doing here!

"Ranger!" God, she looked good. Ranger looked at her and saw that the sparkle in her eyes had returned. Not at its maximum shine yet, but it was definitely there. He didn't trust himself to say anything yet, so he just quirked an eyebrow. She flushed slightly.

"I, eh… I am back to work again" What would that mean? No baby? He kept looking at her; it usually got her to tell more. But this time she just looked back at him. She looked beautiful, but different. She looked tired but alive, she looked… she looked… she looked like the women of his dreams. She started to fidget under his long gaze.

"Eh… Ranger… I would like to… eh, what I mean is… eh… I need to… eh…" He quirked his eyebrow again. She leaned a little bit forward to lower her voice and probably to stop Connie from hearing her. She seemed to want to say something, but then suddenly he could see her changing her mind. She stood straight again, looked at Connie and said:

"Here is the body receipt for my FTA" She sounded proud of herself.

"Are you okay, Babe?" She looked at again, smiled her wonderful smile and said:

"Yeah…" She seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment. "Yeah, I'm good." For some reason he had the feeling she wasn't talking about his question.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 6: Moving and moving on**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Songfic, but part of longer series. Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Stephanie thinks about moving and moving on**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Moving and moving on**

I took a couple of deep breaths when I stood outside the bonds office again. I had never expected to see Ranger there, I had never expected the feelings that I felt. In a way it felt so good to see him again. To feel the tingle going through my body, to see his eyes, to watch him move. Mental sigh. He seemed very surprised to see me there, so I deducted from that, that he hadn't heard about the breakup between me and Joe yet. I had wanted to tell him, but then had decided against it. I really didn't know what to say, and I was sure that he would hear everything (and a whole lot more) from his own sources very soon. 

**Tuesday**

I had been wrong about the amount of time it took for the news to travel around the Burg. By Monday night everybody had heard something about it. I suppose the "for sale" sign outside the house had something to do with it… And maybe me telling Connie Monday morning when I came into the office…

_The sign went up one rainy morning just a couple of hours after dawn  
__Mrs. Hanley peeked out through her curtains, wondering what was going on  
__The neighbors said over coffee cups, that nice young couple is breaking up_

Morelli and I had decided to sell the house. Too many memories for both of us to stay there. I had also packed a bag and stayed at my parents place last night. We simply had said all we wanted to say and needed some distance to come to terms with it. I had explained my parents what Morelli and I had decided and my mother has been ironing ever since. She didn't understand our decision, and blamed me for breaking up the marriage. She would get over it, but it would take a bit of time. It would probably be a while until I got pineapple upside-down cake.

_In the living room the crystal and the linen sit all packed and set to go__I tell myself once more  
__I won't be here this spring to see my roses grow  
__And all the things you tried to fix, the roof still leaks, the door still sticks_

Morelli had called me to tell that he had informed his boss about our divorce, and had taken a few days off to start packing. I had promised him that I would come by too, to help. It would be really awkward, but an important part of the closure that we needed. I had always thought that I would grow old in this house, that we would sit on the porch sixty years down the road and looking at the traffic going by, talking about the "good old times" or something like that. But now that dream would never happen, and it took some getting used to. Shit, I would have to start looking for an apartment myself, I didn't want to live with my parents any longer than absolutely necessary.

Ho_use for __Sale__You can read it on the sign  
__House for __Sale__It was yours and it was mine  
__And tomorrow some strangers will be climbing up the stairs  
__To the bedroom filled with memories  
__The one we used to share_

I wondered who the new owners would be. What they would be like, what they would experience in their lives while living in the house. 'Jeez Steph', I thought, 'don't tell me you now also have feelings for the house!' I smiled at myself. I just liked that house, I guess I couldn't really blame myself for it. We had wonderful times there… wonderful love making… You could say a lot about our relationship, but the sex was always good. I felt something warm up deep inside me. Damn Hungarian hormones!

_I know you always loved that painting  
__From that funny little shop in Spain  
__Remember how we found it  
__When we ducked in from that sudden summer rain  
__But I think I'll keep the silver tray  
__My mother gave us on our wedding day_

Suddenly I realized that we would have to divide the furniture and stuff. Some of the things had been from one of us, his cd's, my cd's, his couch, my coffee table. But then over the years we had also invested in some things together. The new tv, the dining room table and chairs. How to do this? Sigh. Deep sigh again. We would work it out. Hopefully without too much discussion.

Song: House for Sale by Lucifer


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 7: Taking a hit**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): NC-17  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Violence and a little language. Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Ranger and Tank get into a fight about Stephanie**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Taking a hit**

Ranger drove back to his office at high speed. His thoughts whirled through his mind, all of them related to Stephanie. How come she was back at work? What did that mean? What was the news that Connie wanted to tell him? Maybe he did want to know after all. How come nobody had told him that she was back to work? He was supposed to be the first to know!

He screeched to a stop in the garage and ran upstairs to the fifth floor. All conversation came to an abrupt stop as he burst through the doors.  
"Tank! In my office, now!"

"Hey, be cool man" What? Be cool? And he said that to my face in front of my employees?

"Make it the gym, 5 minutes" I had the pleasure of seeing him cringe a little and all the other guys seemed to take a step further away from me. That's right, don't fuck with me today. I went straight to the gym, I knew that Tank would do the same.

"What's wrong with you man?"

"Why wasn't I informed about Stephanie?" I stood by the mat, taking off my weapons and shoes and socks. I motioned for Tank to do the same. But he just stood there, watching me.

"I want to practice, put down your weapons"

"No, you just want to beat the shit out of someone. I will not take the heat for your inability to deal with your feelings. I did that often enough" Wow, that was a direct blow even if he didn't use his fists.

"Excuse me?" My shirt joined my shoes and socks on the floor and I stepped on the mat.

"You know what I mean" Tank growled, still standing fully clothes beside the mat, but he had put his weapons down.

"You better watch what you are saying" I spoke in low tones, showing Tank how close I was to losing my control.

"No, you better watch what you are saying" Guess he was also close to losing his control, because his voice started to rise and he started to walk towards me.

"You have been turning around Stephanie since the moment you guys met. You have used an enormous amount of resources every time she was in danger. Your temper seems to fluctuate with the amount of time you get to spent with her. And we had to deal with your anger every time she went back to Morelli and especially after the marriage" He was shouting now, pushing me.

"I've had enough of this. Since she quite working, you have been an ass to work with. That's right, you have been an ass for the past 3 months." He stopped there and took a step back. He had pushed me of the mat against the wall. I let his words sink into me and to give me some time to come up with a reply. Inside it hurt to hear this from him, my best friend. Also, I was furious. At Tank for saying it, and at myself for allowing his words to penetrate my defenses. Being a little bit preoccupied with my thoughts, I never saw it coming. I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye and the next thing I know was feeling his fist on my jaw. Jesus Christ, that hurt!

"And that was for accusing me of not keeping you informed, while you asked me specifically this morning to not be disturbed, and especially not about her. Or did you forget that already?"

Shit, he was right, I had. But I knew there was a story about Stephanie going back to work, and I had to hear it. The fact that Tank didn't even mention anything convinced me that something big was up and he probably didn't want me to hear it until I was back from Miami. That meant that Tank might think it had the potential to change my mind about going! I _had_ to know.

"Tell me!" I growled. I didn't need to explain to him what I meant, he knew.

"No way man, you can ask her yourself. I am done taking hits for something I can't influence"

"Tank" I said warningly. He just looked at me with quiet eyes. I tasted blood inside my mouth. Fuck him, he was gonna pay. In one movement I grabbed him by his shoulders, finding some pressure points, and turning to smack him against the wall, pinning him there with one arm across his throat.

"Tell me" I gritted through my teeth. I was way past control now, and I didn't really care about the fact that I forgot to scramble the security cameras in this room. It would function as a warning not to go against me.

"Tell me!" I pushed harder against him, making it hard for him to breathe.

"Ric, man" he said softly, "Let it go"

"TELL ME!" Emotions took over and I paid immediately. Tank managed to push me away, and he landed a couple of good blows before I had my defenses in place. We were back on the mat again, slowly circling each other.

"I need to know" I said softly. Tank gave a snort and I hit him as a response.

"You don't need to hear this from me, Ranger, go on, call her, ask her" Tanks voice was soft, teasing, daring me. It made me furious again.

"I asked you! I'm your boss, so answer me!" I knew that the 'boss' argument would cost me, because this was between him and me personally, and had nothing to do with Rangeman or any other work that we did. But what could I say to him? That I had seen her today but that she didn't seem to want to tell me? That I felt so inadequate to deal with any emotions right now that I needed to hear it in an environment where I could respond physically to the news before facing the world again? Mmm, guess Tank had been right about him taking hits for telling me about Stephanie, thinking back.

Tank threw his head back and laughed a sarcastic laugh.

"Ricardo, is that the best you can do?" What was wrong with the man, did he want me to go over the edge? Did he have a death wish? Because the way he kept pushing my buttons was sure to take care of that. I felt myself boil over and I lunged for him.

Tank POV

We went down. But I expected it, and instead of him hitting me, I was ready to beat the shit out of him. I had deliberately challenged him until he charged, because I needed to get through to him. He was so occupied with her that he was getting distracted, and that was dangerous for himself and his team. Despite the fact that she was happily married for three years now he still was longing for her. I had tried anything and everything to get Ranger back on track, including some very attractive ladies, but Ranger never showed any interest at all. I was getting desperate, and today I decided to simply use brutal force. I was stronger than he was, and with him being distracted I could take him. For a moment I had considered taking it easy on him, landing just a few blows to get the message across, but after the 'boss' argument my restraint also went out of the window. He would pay for that.

Ranger POV

Even before we hit the mat I felt Tank landing blows everywhere. He managed to turn while falling and landed on top of me. I felt all the air leave my lungs when I hit the ground flat on my back and Tank on top of me. I started grasping for breath while Tank kept hitting me. A thought flashed through my mind: I was going to look and feel like shit tomorrow. Tank wasn't holding back anymore. I felt some particularly hard blows. My ribs, my jaw (of course the same side as the first blow), left eye, ribs again, stomach, ribs _again_ and my nose. Something cracked and I saw stars. I had finally managed to get some air back into my lungs again when Tank flipped me around on my stomach, landing hard blows to my kidneys and my sides.

"Nock… off… the… ribs" I managed to get out while putting my hands beside me on the ground to lift some pressure of my hurting ribs. The blows to my ribs and kidneys stopped, but in stead he grabbed both my arms and my face smacked on the floor. Damn, my nose hurt. He twisted my arms behind my back and pushed. I felt the muscles in my shoulders strain.

"Listen, you fuck, I'll tell you about Stephanie if you really want to know so badly" Another push to my arms and a moan escaped my mouth when sharp pains shot through my shoulders.

"Tell me" Jeez, I was more or less reduced to begging. Look at me! I was getting the shit beaten out of me by my best friend and second in command, and I still only thought about her. Tank let go of my right arm and I felt his arm slide around my throat from behind. Oh great! I felt him pull back and my ribs protested painfully when my shoulders were lifted of the mat. Breathing was getting a bit difficult between the pain in my ribs and the pressure on my throat. Fucking fantastic.

I coughed painfully. I felt his breath against the side of my head when he whispered close to my ear.

"Morelli and Stephanie split up for good. She doesn't want a baby and he does and with some other differences between them they have decided to go their separate ways. The house went up for sale this morning and Stephanie is back to work fulltime as we speak."

I couldn't believe my ears. She left him! This could mean that…

"Don't even think about it, Ric!" Tank growled in my ear.

"She isn't even divorced yet, and it's going to take a while for her to get over this. They really loved each other, actually they still do! So don't you dare to go and makes things difficult for her. She needs time to come to terms with this and she doesn't need some lovesick guy to stir things up. I will make personally sure that you get on that fucking plane to Miami and stay there for _at least_ a month!" I started to protest against that, but he simply increased pressure on my throat, cutting off my air. I started to wriggle to get out of his grasp (not a fat chance in hell of course) but he pushed my arm higher and the arm around my neck started to go further up as well. With a groan of pain I immediately stopped, the pain was far beyond my comfort level. I was afraid that if I kept moving I might dislocate something. Tank released some of the pressure when I stopped moving and I tried to take a few shallow breaths to calm myself.

Deep down, I knew he was right. Stephanie had been really happy with Morelli, and it could take months if not years for her to get over this. It wouldn't be fair if I started to increase pressure again, just because I still loved her. Maybe she wouldn't want me, not even after she moved on from this. A sharp pain went through my heart. I had never thought about that possibility. Mmm, better not think about that now. Shit, I really wanted to be there for her now, but listening to Tank made it clear to me that he would drug me if necessary to get me on that plane.

"Tank…" Maybe I could postpone going to Miami until I was sure that she would be alright.

"No Ric, you need to give her some space and you need some distance as well. This is getting dangerous" I couldn't argue with that really, but that didn't mean I wouldn't give it one last try.

"Just until... Ow! Fuck you! Argh!" Tank was increasing pressure again. The bastard.

"You were saying, Ric?"

"Jesus, that hurts! What is wrong with you?" My nose started to pound heavily and I felt blood running down my face and dripping of my chin.

"No, what is wrong with _you_? You behave like shit to us, to _me_, and you don't even apologize! I've had it with this"

"Oh, and you thought that beating the shit out of me evened the score?" I was getting pissed again.

"No, I still want that apology from you" What!

"What!"

"You heard me, and you damn well know what I am talking about!" I did, and somewhere deep down I was ashamed of myself. Looking back at it, it was surprising that Tank and the guys had accepted it for so long.

"Let go of me first" I needed time to get over my pride. Tank chuckled.

"No man, this is going to happen while you are down and defenseless"

"Oh, fuck yogghhh" Tank squeezed my throat again.

"Try again" He really wasn't letting me get away with it, and I felt like a very young boy again. I deserved it, but I _really_ didn't like it. I swallowed a few times to get rid of the blood in my mouth and to swallow my pride. After a few very quiet moments I finally surrendered. I relaxed, taking some pressure of my shoulder and Tank released some pressure on both my arm and my throat.

"… I'm sorry…" I didn't sound too sure of myself though… and immediately Tank increased the pressure again.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me" I mumbled.

"I'm not sure I heard you correctly" Oh great, just rub my nose in it.

"Look, I said I was sorry!" I shouted, and immediately coughing from the deep breaths. Damn, those ribs hurt.

"Thank you. That was all I wanted to hear." Glad to be of service. Tank let go of my throat and got out his cell phone to call someone. I rested my head on the floor, careful that my nose didn't touch anything. It was seriously sensitive.

"Yo, is Bobby in?" I started to fight again, I didn't want Bobby down here. Tank placed a knee on my back and I felt my arm being pushed upwards again.

"Stay still, Ric"

"I don't need Bobby" Cough. Oh yeah, that helps your case.

"Yeah, you do. Your nose is broken and your ribs need to be checked out… Or do you want to go to the ER?" He knew I hated the ER, with all those nurses swooning over me.

"Hmpf" Excellent answer Manoso!

"Yo Bobby, could you come to the gym? Bring a kit." I couldn't hear Bobby's response.

"It's Ranger" Great. Everybody would know now, the great Manoso got his ass kicked by Tank.

"Broken nose, possible rib fracture, bruising" and Tank hung up.

"He's coming" Tank started to get up, and my arm and shoulder savored the feeling of being free again. I slowly got up, hurting everywhere and I saw some stars again. Tank turned his back on me and I instinctively reacted. Nobody gets away with attacking me like that. I started a right hit when Tank spun around and grabbed my right fist and pulling me forward. It was also instinct on his side, because he probably didn't mean for my fist to end up against the wall, dislocating a finger and bruising all my knuckles.

"Oh, fuck!" I said as pain shot up my arm.

"Sorry man. But I don't want to _talk_ about this again. Is that clear?" He looked me straight in the eye and I knew I would have to surrender… again. Sigh… Cough…

"Okay"

Bobby chose that moment to walk in, and he stopped dead in his tracks. Looking around I started to understand why. I had dripped blood everywhere and I looked like shit while Tank didn't have a scratch on him. Usually it was the other way around. Besides, Tank was still fully clothed except for his weapons while I only wore my combats. Blood had dripped on my chest and the bruising started to show on my ribs and face.

"Is it safe?" Bobby humor. Tank nodded and Bobby walked towards me. I was leaning against the wall for support, holding my hand and pressing an arm against my sore ribs.

"Jesus Tank, what did you do to him?"

"Just fix him" Excellent choice of words Tank, I'm right here. I straightened and help up my two hands. Oh, that movement _hurt_!

"Listen, I don't really need you Bobby, I'm fine. I'll just go up to take a shower" and to put every icepack I can find on me, but they didn't need to know that.

"Ranger, you're nose is obviously broken and so far I have spotted a dislocated finger and some really deep bruising. You do need me" Okay, maybe I need you, but I don't _want_ this.

"No really…"

"Ric, do we have to force you?" Tank again. Better not go against him, I've learned my lesson today.

"Fine" Bobby walked towards me and looked at my finger first.

"You know the drill" I nodded, and felt a sharp pain and heard a pop when Bobby pulled the finger back in its place.

"Tank, can you get some ice and a few wet towels so I can clean up his face, I can't see half of the damage" Tank walked away, while Bobby started to push against my ribs. It hurt, but not as much as when I had broken my ribs in the Rangers. It did start me coughing again, and I bent forward in pain. Bobby pushed me towards the mat for me to lie down on, and I decided against any resistance. I was beat and beaten.

I was just laying there with my eyes closed when I felt something cold and wet on my face wiping away the blood. I take it Tank had returned. Bobby was careful not to touch my nose too much, but the rest also felt like it was pulp. Then I felt his fingers on my nose, feeling and pushing. I hit his hand away when he pushed on a spot that had me seeing stars again and sharp pains shooting through my face.

"Okay, that is where the fracture is" No shit man.

"Listen Ric, I need to put your nose straight again. I can give you a local anesthetic to take away the edge or put some ice on it to take away some of the pain. It wont take long, but it is a very rotten feeling" Oh great. I get to choose. But here's the thing. I _hate_ needles.

"Ice" An icepack was placed over my nose and someone put pressure on it. I flinched. That hurts.

"Let me tape those ribs in the meantime." I opened one eye and saw that Tank was holding the icepack while Bobby was looking for some tape in his kit. He found it, and he started taping over the bruises on both sides. After he was finished, he also put icepacks on my ribs and taped up my finger. One icepack slid onto my stomach and I flinched from the cold on my warm skin. He grabbed my left shoulder to stop me moving and I stiffened up. Tank really had stretched it to its limits earlier on. Bobby lessened the pressure and started to gently feel around. He scolded at Tank. Ha, take that! Tank simply shrugged. Bobby got some kind of cream from his kit and put it on my shoulder, rubbing it in.

"This will get really warm in a minute, and will help your muscles to heal" I just nodded. Ow, wrong move, Tank still held ice to my nose.

"Right, that nose should have cooled down now. Ready?" Tank moved to sit behind my head and I looked at him.

"Want to grab me again?" I asked him in a teasing tone.

"Just a safety precaution" Mmm, maybe I should have chosen the anesthetic. Tank grabbed my head and Bobby's hands were on my nose again. Suddenly I felt the two pieces of bone being moved by Bobby's hands and it hurt like hell. Stars shot through my vision and pain shot up my nose. I tried to move my head away and a groan escaped me.

"Aargghh" I felt Tanks hands holding my head in place and I fought against my instinct to grab him. Suddenly Bobby let go and the icepack was replaced. Slowly I relaxed again, and Tank let go of my head.

"Okay, I will put a splint on your nose in a minute. Is there anything else that I need to look at?"

"No" I just wanted to get out of here.

"Okay, I will just do some routine checks then" Guess Bobby wasn't convinced. He probed my face, and shone some light in my eyes.

"Sit up, please" I slowly sat up, holding the icepack to my nose. Bobby felt around my kidneys, but apparently decided I was fine because no comments were issued.

"Okay, lay back again" He carefully put the splint on my nose and I knew I would look like a raccoon tomorrow.

"That's it. You should take it easy for a few days, give the ribs a bit of a rest and be careful with that nose. Take some Tylenol against the pain and ice the bruising today." He packed up his kit and with a last glance at Tank and me he left the gym.

I slowly started to get up again, holding ice to my nose while Tank gathered up my clothes and the other icepacks. We walked to the elevator and went up to the 7th floor. Slowly I sat down on the couch. Shit shit shit. I was going to be really sore tomorrow.

"I'm going to take a shower" But I couldn't find the courage yet to get up again from the couch.

"You might want to take it easy the next few days"

"That's rich coming from you" Guess I was still pissed at him.

"Sorry man, but I did what had to be done. I will clear your schedule from any fieldwork for the next few days."

"Okay… thanks." I looked at Tank. He looked at me and a wordless conversation went through the room. At the end, Tank stood up and gave me the two other icepacks for my ribs.

"I'll probably see you later in the control room. I don't think that I have what it takes to convince you to stay in bed today"

I smiled. Probably only Stephanie could convince me to take time off someday.


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 8: Keys to my …**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Stephanie finds something of Rangers and returns it to him**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Keys to my … **

I spent the afternoon packing up stuff together with Joe. We were never working in the same room for some reason; I guess it was just too much to see each other packing away our life together. I had decided to go through my closet, and suddenly I held a keychain in my hands. It had a few keys, a remote and a fob on it. I suddenly realised what it was. These were my keys from Rangeman, and more specifically from Ranger's apartment! I had never given them back, he had told me to keep them. But I had never used them after I left Rangemen and I would never use them now, we didn't have that kind of relationship anymore. I missed his friendship. The sexual attraction was still there, but not as powerful since I decided to marry Joe. But I did miss him around me, his silent presence. Of course he never broke into the house anymore, and occasionally when I woke up at night and I would remember those times that he did. He had scared me to death but it had made life interesting. There were worse persons to wake up to!

Mmm, guess I better give these back. I was sure he had heard about the divorce now and I didn't want these lying around the house at the moment. I didn't really think that Joe would suddenly think that I had a secret affair with Ranger, but better not tempt fate. And if I kept them with me I would surely loose them and I didn't want to be the one who compromised Rangers safety and security. I flipped my phone open to call him, but then thought the better of it. I would just drive by his office today, I was almost finished with the closet anyway and I was feeling depressed. Also, my mother was expecting me for dinner at 6, so I had to get going anyway. I went back to the living room where I saw Joe sitting in the middle of a stack of cd's, obviously lost in thought. My heart broke a little.

"Eh, I'm going to my parents" Joe looked up at me, a little startled.

"Oh, yeah. See you tomorrow." I walked over to him and gave him a soft kiss. He was still my husband after all. After a moment I straightened up and walked outside to my car.

I arrived at Rangers office a little after 5. I used the remote to get in, and went to the fifth floor. I suppose it would be a little strange to suddenly stand there after 3 years, but it wasn't as if I had never seen the guys again, although not recently. Besides, this was me we're talking about, so they shouldn't expect less.

The elevator opened and I walked in. All conversation ceased. Mmm, I did put on my clothes correctly today, my hair was more or less behaving, I hadn't blown up anything for a very long time now. Oh hang on, major mental head slap: I was getting a divorce! Tank was the first to recover.

"Steph" Guess I didn't blow up enough anymore to be called Bombshell.

"Tank" Two can play this game I thought, smiling internally.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for Ranger"

"Ah, I see" I saw some looks going through the room and Tank didn't seem to want to say anything more.

"Where can I find him?"

"Why do you need him?" Mmm, I thought I asked first…

"I need to give him something"

"You can leave it behind, I will make sure he gets…" I felt the hairs at the back of my neck stand up and I heard Rangers voice from behind me.

"Yo Tank, could you…" I had turned around and he had spotted me stopping halfway in his sentence. My god, he looked awful!

"Ranger! Are you okay? What happened to you?" He looked… bruised, in more ways than one.

"I'm fine" Yeah right, that's why you look like a panda bear with those bruises around your eyes.

"What happened? Who did this to you?" I was extremely curious as to who had managed to get the better of Ranger… and if this person was still alive.

"How are you, do you need help with a skip?" Even women managed to change a subject with more subtlety. Mmm, maybe it was a sign that he didn't want to talk about how he turned into a panda bear. I let my eyes wander over his (still) perfect body. Of course he was dressed in badass black with a spray on black t-shirt, but around his ribs it somehow seemed different than before, like something covered his ribs and one of his fingers was taped in. Maybe the person who did this didn't just hit his face, Steph! I couldn't help it, I felt something stir in me. Something deep down in me wanted to take care of him. That's right, I didn't want children, but faced with an injured grown up man I felt the need to take care of him. Guess that is my logic.

"Babe?" Oh shit, I never answered him.

"I wanted to return your keys" I saw the eyebrows of several of his men shooting up in question. Ranger started to raise an eyebrow, but stopped halfway. Probably it didn't feel too good, judging by the condition of his face.

Okay, this was getting really weird. Here I was, facing a group of ex-colleagues who had known me from a time when Ranger and I had been much closer and I knew they had wondered about the nature of our relationship. And now, while I was getting divorced from _another_ man, I came to return his keys. That probably didn't give the right impression. Sigh, I should have thought about this before, but of course I always managed to turn something really simple into something very complicated. How to explain this to his men?

"I found them in my closet today" I offered, but realised that that didn't really help.

"I eh… I was… cleaning and that's when I found them" Better not going into too much detail why I was 'cleaning'. Ranger still just stood there, looking a little surprised.

"I must have forgotten to return them to you after I eh… left Rangemen" Yeah right, nobody of his men would believe that Ranger would forget to ask back the keys that would get me past his security and into his personal apartment. I felt myself starting to blush. I looked a little angry at Ranger, hoping to send out the right vibes. I could use some help here! Ranger seemed to snap out of his little zone and said:

"Why don't you come up to my apartment so we can talk" I saw Tank give him a murderous look. Okay, something going on here. But I would like to talk to Ranger in private, that would make this a little easier.

"Okay"

I followed him up and we entered his apartment. I was still more or less the same as three years ago. I sniffed the faint smell of Bvlgari, still as sexy as ever.

"Would you like a drink?" Boy, were we social today!

"No thanks, I am on my way to my parents for dinner" Ranger turned around and slowly settled on the couch opposite from me. I could see from his face that it was a painful experience.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He really didn't look okay.

"Yeah, I had a little… disagreement with someone that we settled in the gym" Guess this person _really_ didn't agree with him.

"Is he still alive?" I asked smiling. Ranger looked back and smiled a little too. Ouch, even that looked painful to me.

"Yeah, he is alive and kicking" He sounded a little pissed about that and then started to lean further back on the couch, slowly laying his head back. Poor man.

"Don't you need to put some ice on those bruises?" Anybody needs a nurse? Ranger shrugged lightly. I swear this is one of those moments where my brain and body are not connected. I knew I should keep my distance from him, I hadn't seen him for three months until yesterday! But instead I got up from the couch and walked to his freezer and saw that there were 3 icepacks there. I got one out and walked back to him. I was sure he had heard what I was doing, but he still had his eyes closed. I sat down beside him, and was thinking about where to put it first when Ranger spoke:

"Don't touch my nose, please" He opened one eye to look at me.

"Why?" 'Why do you think' my brain said, 'the guy looks like a raccoon!'

"It's broken and I don't want the fracture to move" Oops.

"Okay" In stead I gently put it on his jaw. He flinched a little and moved his face away. Instinctively I placed myself on his lap, a knee at each side of his legs and my hand gently pushed the ice against his jaw again. His eyes were still closed, the side of his face now turned towards me. The quietness was like a soft blanket, because he didn't want to talk about how he got his injuries and I didn't want to talk about me finding the keys because of Morelli and me splitting up. After a few minutes I removed the ice and turned his face to the other side and placed the ice against his bruised cheek. He inhaled sharply through his teeth. Oops. I moved the icepack back a little to give his skin time to adjust to the temperature.

"Sorry" He slowly moved his face so that he could look me in the eyes, pushing his cheek against the ice again.

We were looking at each other, and a million thoughts went through my mind. I had really missed him these past few months. He had always been a good friend. But being this close to him also awoke other feelings, feelings that I thought were no longer there. Feelings that I only had had for Morelli in the past three years. I felt really confused about myself and my feelings for Ranger. Rangers' eyes were full of emotion too. I had never seen him like this, so… so defeated. I had a feeling that the 'disagreement' that had led to the fight was something personal. And the fact that he had gotten the shit beaten out of him probably didn't help his mood. I felt feelings of friendship, wanting to take care of him but also sexual arousal. Our faces seemed to get closer to each other. Wait, they were! Oh shit, I should stop this! But I continued my movement forwards while Ranger was slowly lifting his head of the couch. We both shifted at the same time to be able to get closer and my knee hit his ribs. He stiffened and the spell was broken.

"Babe" he groaned.

I let the breath that I unconsciously had been holding escape. Rangers hand moved my knee away from his ribs and he bent backwards again, taking slow, shallow breaths. I gently lifted his shirt out of his combats and saw the tape on both sides, with some of the bruising showing on the sides of the tape. My god, somebody really got to him. I started to get off his lap, but his hand grabbed my arm. He looked at me again.

"I'm leaving tomorrow" What did he mean: he was leaving? Now, forever, for a few days, leaving the country?

"How do you mean?"

"I finished the buy-out of some of the offices and I am going to spent time with my daughter in Miami."

"How long?" Perfect Stephanie, that sounded a bit demanding.

"I… I don't know yet…" I just looked at him, feeling a bit hurt that he was leaving now that I could use his support.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea about the problems between you and Morelli or I would have stayed"

"You are not responsible for me Ranger, I can take care of myself" Okay, that didn't sound quite right. He looked at me again.

"I'm sorry, that didn't sound the way I meant it. What I meant was that I don't want you to stay around for me, I will be okay. Your daughter needs you."

"I want to be there for you" Ranger said quietly. I gently put a hand on his face, trying not to touch anything bruised.

"You have always been there for me Ranger" I whispered back. I gently leaned forward and gave him a little hug. My mind decided he looked like he could use some hugging. After a second his arms came around my waist and he placed his forehead on my shoulder. We stayed like that for what seemed like eternity, but a couple of minutes probably was more accurate. My hands gently stroked his back. It felt like friends offering each other support. Then, with a soft kiss on his cheek I got up and walked towards the door. The keys were lying on his coffee table.

"Steph, I'm sorry, but I _need_ to go away. I need to clear my mind" We already discussed this, so I guess it was really important for him to repeat it.

"That's okay Ranger. I'll see you when you get back" I hope you don't stay away too long.

"I will be thinking of you"

"I will be thinking of you too" I gently closed the door behind me and took a deep breath. I wasn't sure whether me returning the keys had closed something off, or had started something new.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 9: Poor Daddy!**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Rangers first week in ****Miami**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Poor Daddy!**

It's been a week since I landed in Miami. Tank hadn't been joking when he said that he would 'personally make sure I got on that plane'. I suppose that the fact that I still looked like a raccoon and felt like shit on Wednesday had something to do with it as well. I had booked a first class ticket, and was a regular customer with this company, but they didn't feel comfortable with the way I looked. I couldn't really blame them but on the other hand: it was obvious I wouldn't be able to fight anybody since I could hardly carry my own bag without flinching. Of course I had tried to hide that little fact from Tank. After some sweet talking to the ladies behind the desk by Tank they had insisted on doing a full security check and if it came back clear they would allow me on board. So all my bags were searched, my records were checked and yes: I was searched. They had called in extra guards for that… You really wonder why considering my condition, but maybe they wanted to keep an eye on Tank more than that they expected me to cause problems. I hoped that the little problem in Nevada wouldn't show up, and low and behold, after an hour of searching and checking I was allowed to fly to Miami. I don't think I need to explain that all the women on the plane, including the stewardesses kept their distance this time…

I managed to sleep a couple of extra hours, since I had woken up a lot in the past couple of nights from the pain in my ribs. I had been thinking a lot about Stephanie and somewhere deep down had agreed with Tank. Even though she would be 'available' again in a few weeks time, I still should take a timeout and take a step back to give her time to come to terms with the divorce. The almost kiss on the couch on Tuesday evening had proved that the sexual attraction was still there, but that that only could cause trouble at this moment. Besides, I would be back in about a month and she would probably still be in the middle of it all, so nothing was lost.

Seeing her in my apartment had been surreal. She hadn't been there for 3 years and then suddenly she is there, but returns the keys. That was not how it went in my dreams. On the other hand you could say that she was closing off the past, including the time that I was still 'poaching' as she called it, but that didn't mean that there would be not place for me in her future. And the way she responded to my physical appearance had given me the impression that she wasn't without feelings for me, friendship or otherwise. I had wondered a little about that during the past 3 months when she had quit her job. We had not seen each other at all, and neither of us had contacted the other for something like lunch. But then again, our relationship had never been _that_ kind of social. Let's face it, Batman doesn't do friendly lunches.

My daughter and ex-wife had been at the airport to pick me up. I had been a bit surprised when my ex-wife Anna had called about that, but she had explained that Sofia had insisted on going to the airport. Sofia was delighted that I would be around for a whole month and that she would get to spent the weekends with me and that I would visit during the week. She had moved heaven and earth (read: made all kinds of threats that only children can come up with) so that Anna had given in and allowed her to stay with me from Wednesday until Sunday night. I had an apartment in Miami with a room for Sofia so it was no problem, but I had not planned on Tank's little… lecture. When Sofia saw me she had started running towards me, and then had stopped about halfway when she saw my face. She had looked at Anna, unsure of what to do. She had seen me with the occasional bruise or bullet wound, but nothing like this. Heck, apart from the people that I been with in the Rangers, nobody had seen me like this.

Anna seemed unsure of what to say to Sofia as well. I hadn't exactly told her that I was a bit bruised. I walked towards Sofia and slowly bent through my knees, so that I didn't need to bend forward and still be able to look directly into her eyes. She looked back at me, with big, shocked eyes. Then, slowly her hand had touched my cheek and she had said:

"Oh Daddy! Does it hurt when I touch you?" She looked really concerned, poor girl. I mean: this is the perfect example why my life doesn't lend itself to relationships.

"You can always touch me, just not my nose today" She seemed unsure of my statement. I waited.

"Are you sure Daddy?"

"Of course, Sofia! My daughter can always touch me! Come here for a hug!" I was sitting on my knees now, and she hugged me tight with her arms around my neck. I hugged her back and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek, enjoying the feeling of being able to hold her again. I missed her always, it wasn't always present in my mind, but the ache in my heart remained.

"Daddy, it's going to be sooo much fun now that I am living with you for 5 days! We can do so much together, and you'll get to bring me to school and pick me up and bring me to sports and music classes" The joys of parenting.

"That's right, Sofia" From the corner of my eye I saw Anna walking towards us.

"Ricardo, you look like shit" And a warm welcome to you too.

"Anna"

"What happened?"

"Just a little problem, it's been taken care of" I knew that she would think something completely different than what had happened, but I couldn't help myself. She had really condemned my lifestyle and had believed everything that was whispered about me. I didn't really care anymore, as long as she didn't frighten Sofia. So now on 'special' occasions I actually said things that would led her to believe I was as bad as ever. Guess somewhere deep down I liked it that she was a little scared of me. The marriage and divorce hadn't been too pretty, and although we were able to have normal conversations now, there was no love lost between us.

I slowly got up again, and Anna looked critically at me.

"Are you okay with having Sofia around in this condition?" From the corner of my eye I saw Sofia's eyes fill with tears and before I could answer she started.

"Of course it's okay, right Daddy? I will be no trouble at all, I can help with everything, please can I stay with you? Pleeeaassee?" Who could refuse those eyes? Not me. Besides, I wasn't an invalid.

"It's no problem, I love to have you around Sofia, you know that." I sent a little glare to Anna for bringing this up in front of Sofia. However, Sofia's 'thanks' for staying with me was another hug, and this time her arms went around my middle and she squeezed hard. Shit shit shit, that hurt. I quickly grabbed her arms and gently tugged at them until she let go. She looked up with confusion in her eyes.

"Sorry honey, Daddy's ribs are a bit sensitive. You can hug, but only softly okay?" She seemed to consider that statement when Anna reached for my shirt and lifted it. I had actually really thought about what to wear this morning. My badass black outfit would definitely get me banned from flying, and I was afraid that wearing an expensive suit in my condition would only make them think I was from the Mafia and therefore ban me from flying too. So I wore jeans and a loose polo shirt.

A look of genuine worry crossed Anna's face when she saw all the tape. Her hand softly touched the tape, and then her hand slid over my six-pack and her expression changed. Guess she still liked my body. Sofia was watching her mothers hand on my stomach.

"Careful Mom, don't hurt Daddy!" We both had to smile about that. She was such a sweet kid.

"Your mother isn't hurting me, see, she is really careful" Okay, this was getting weird, even for me. Here I am looking like a raccoon with my daughter telling my ex-wife to be careful while my ex-wife is feeling me up. Sofia also gently ran her hand across the tape.

"See, that doesn't hurt Daddy." Sofia seemed to perk up at that and then gently rested her arms around my hips and laid her head on my stomach. I ruffled her hair.

"Is this okay Daddy?" she whispered.

"That's perfect, sweetie" She sighed contently.

"Come on, let's go get the car" I had an employee drop off a car for me, and since I attracted some attention looking the way I did. I didn't feel the need to be searched again so I wanted to get moving. Sofia grabbed my hand and we started walking.

Dropping Sofia at school and picking her up had been… interesting. Some 'brave' women had offered all kinds of help with my bruises, but most had kept a distance, softly talking to other parents. I don't know what Anna tells these people about me, but I probably just confirmed the worse. It made me smile. Hopefully it would keep a couple of single mothers away. I just wasn't interested in any other woman than Steph. And I wasn't used to polite chit-chat or friendly banter or whatever it is that these people talk about.

The weekend had been wonderful, I really enjoyed being together with my daughter. We went swimming and shopping (she actually managed to convince me that she really needed that nice t-shirt and matching trousers, if Steph saw me she would be laughing her ass off) and I took her to the movies on Sunday. She cried buckets when Anna came to pick her up, but I promised to pick her up on Wednesday again for some "quality time and dinner". Most of the bruises were gone and I had taken the tape of my ribs. Only my nose was still sensitive, but I more or less looked like a normal person again.

Monday and Tuesday I had spent in the Miami offices, discussing business and meeting up with friends. I missed Stephanie and had considered to call her several times, but in the end had decided against it. She didn't expect me to call, and it could only make things difficult. Once I had made that decision for myself, I felt myself relax more and more, and settled in for 3 more weeks of easy living. Okay, I had signed myself up for a couple of jobs in the Miami office, and I still received faxes and other paperwork from Trenton, but I worked considerably less hours than normal and Sofia's presence always helped me relax. Children simply make the world a better place.


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 10: When the cat is away… **  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Tank makes a move on a lady!**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**When the cat is away… **

**(In the meantime in ****Trenton**

Tank looked satisfied when they finally allowed Ranger on the plane to Miami. He had realized that it could be a close call with Ranger's condition, but after some intensive searching he was accepted. Ranger had accepted it looking completely okay with it, but Tank had caught a few glares his way when they took him away to be searched. Hopefully Ranger would have forgotten it by the time he came back to Trenton again.

Tank got into his car and drove back to Trenton. Now that Ranger was gone, he had some plans that he wanted to execute. For a while he had felt a strong attraction to a particular woman, but he hadn't made his move yet. Now that Ranger was gone, he had the opportunity to adjust his schedule to fit his plans without raising any suspicion from Ranger or the other guys. Tank smiled at himself. He had thought it through carefully, and nothing could go wrong.

He stopped in front of Vinnies office. Perfect, her car was there too, so he could put his plan in motion immediately. He walked in and she was sitting on the couch, donut in her hand and flipping through some files. Connie sat behind her desk painting her nails some gruesome blood red color that somehow looked good on her and matched her shirt.

"Ladies" Both of them nodded and she put her file aside and kept looking at him. That was good right?

"Tank, my man, how are you?" I quirked an eyebrow at that.

"Good, you?"

"Excellent, never been better" I couldn't help but think that I could make her feel a whole lot better than that she ever had before.

"Is he in?" I motioned towards Vinnies office.

"Yes, go right through" Connie said.

I quickly got the files from Vinnie that I would have to go after now that Ranger was unavailable. I sat down beside her on the couch and pretended to be interested in my files, flipping through them.

"Who you got, big man?"

"Let's see, one murderer, one rapist and a guy who seriously injured his girlfriend with eh… assorted tools" She smirked.

"Why do you always get the good guys?" I had to laugh at that.

"What you got?" She seemed to shrink a little.

"Shoplifting and joy riding"

"Need any help?" She looked really surprised at that. I was secretly holding my breath. I had heard on the street that the joy rider had gotten away twice already, and that the second time he had almost hit her with his car. But this woman always wanted to prove herself, so I had figured that if she accepted help from me with these cases it could be a sign that she liked me, more than that she needed the help. I tried to look really friendly and encouraging.

"Uh… eh… Oh, why not" Phew! From the corner of my eye I had seen Connie's eyebrow going up at my question, and her hand was already reaching for the phone. I turned around and gave her a very hard glare. Her eyes turned into saucers, and then the hand slowly retreated to her desk. I gave a short shake with my head and I think she got the message. No gossiping about this. I held the door open for her and helped her in my car.

"Sheeit, this is some vehicle" she said as she looked at the dash with all the assorted technology on it. I just smiled at her.

"Where to?" Better pretend that I made a business offer.

"Uh, to Stark street, I've got an informant there" She sounded proud of that.

The informant had been able to tell us in which bar the joyrider was drinking today, and the apprehension went without problem. He didn't even resist. When he had started shouting obscenities at my woman (okay, not yet, but even I can dream, God knows what Ranger calls Steph in his mind) I had made sure he was suddenly without air.

"That's not a nice thing to say about such a lovely lady. Apologize." She blushed. Guess not many people called her that lately.

"… sorry… " the skip murmured. I let it go, better not show too much violence at this point.

Another half hour and the skip was safely at the police station and she held her body receipt in her hand. This is where part two of my plan went into action.

"We should celebrate your apprehension" Let's see if she bites the bait.

"Tank, that is the best idea I heard all day, let's visit Mickey D's on the way back to the office" That sounded like a bite to me, so I decided to push my luck.

"I meant more like tonight, going out for a drink" Her mouth fell open and her eyes had widened. Guess she hadn't expected this, and I wondered if I had been too forward. Then, after a couple of seconds a mischievous grin started on her face. Uh-oh.

"You mean like a date?" she said slowly. Yep, she moved straight in for the kill.

"Eh, yeah. If you like that" She seemed to think about a moment. Than she smiled a full on smile and I felt my heart warm.

"Yeah… yeah I'd like that." Yes! Okay, keep your cool look.

"Great, I'll pick you up at 8?"

"That's good for me" We were back at the office now and she started to exit the car. Time for a final move.

"Lula?" She turned around and looked at me.

"Wear something special" and I flashed her a killer smile.


	11. Chapter 11

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 11: The dress**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): PG 13  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Little bit of smut. Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Lula and Tank go out for dinner, so Lula needs a new dress**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to review! I hope you stay entertained with this chapter, because the next update might take a while since I first have to spend some serious time on my thesis for my MBA. Hope to be back online in August!

**The dress**

Ranger has been gone a little over a week now, and I now know for certain that it was the right decision of him to leave for a little while. Joe and I have been talking together a lot about how to arrange things between us, and it wasn't always easy. But if Ranger would have been in the area, it would have been distracting. I know he wouldn't do anything on purpose, but he just is a very distracting guy. This way, Joe and I got to work out everything together without getting into painful debates about me being seen with Ranger on a job or something. However, I did miss him. I had always felt safe with him, and in this time, where my certainties were falling away, it would have been nice to hide occasionally in his strong arms. And I mean this in a 'friends' kind of way! (What were _you_ thinking, I'm a married woman!)

I entered the bonds office, and Lula was jumping up and down. I blinked, the already tight fabric of her clothes was absolutely reaching it maximum stretch now. Luckily, when she heard the door open, she turned around and stopped jumping. For once my life has been taking a back seat in the burg gossip. Lula and Tank ware the absolute number one now. I couldn't blame the people, they made an interesting couple. A few days ago, Tank had asked Lula to go out for a drink, and they had had a good time. At least, that was all Lula and Tank were willing to say about it. That of course made everybody else very curious, and wild rumors had spread within minutes.

"Lula, what's going on?" I asked. The jumping had to be related to something.

"Nothing, I'm just happy" Yeah, right. Connie smiled sweetly and said:

"I heard that Tank made reservations for two tonight at Rossini's. I'd say that is what is making Lula jump up and down" Lula blushed a little and we knew Connie was right.

"So, dinner?" I asked. Lula smiled.

"Yes"

"You two are really hitting it off"

"Yes, he is a great guy. And great eye candy!" That had Connie and me nodding our heads in agreement. Okay, I did prefer Ranger over Tank, but that doesn't mean that the guy was ugly. To me, Ranger just was the most attractive guy alive. And Morelli was high on the list as well… But then again, all Rangemen were nice to look at. If one of them is gay, he is the luckiest guy alive!

"So, what are you going to wear?"

"Well, I have been thinking about that, and I think a trip to the mall is needed. You coming?" We Jersey girls can have closets full of clothes, but a date always justifies a shopping trip.

"Sure, can we pick up Mooner on the way? He missed his court date last week"

"Okay, no problem. Maybe we can take him with us shopping. You know. A man's point of view." Connie and me both raised our eyebrows at that.

"Eh, I wouldn't exactly trust Mooners' opinion on fashion, Lula" Connie said. Lula looked thoughtful.

"Mmm, maybe not, but he is good fun" That I could agree with.

We took Lula's firebird and we arrived at the mall half an hour later with Mooner in the back and the stereo at full blast.

"Okay, tell me again dudes, what are we looking for?" Mooner asked.

"We are looking for something that makes a man hot, without looking like a slut. I wanna show Tank that I can be a classy girl if I want to" Lula said.

I did a mental sigh. Lula was a full figured woman, it wouldn't be too easy to find something "classy but hot without looking like a slut". We went through several stores, unsuccessfully. Mooner so far had picked a dress that looked like it was a sheet coming straight of a bed, a pantsuit in bright red that made Lula look like a big tomato and a dress that screamed 'ho. Then we decided to hit Macy's. After checking the usual women's departments, we realized we lost Mooner. Oh great, I was still supposed to bring him in. What did it mean if I couldn't even bring Mooner in anymore! But suddenly we heard very excited shouting coming from the other side of the store. Mooner.

"I've got it! I've got it!" Lula and me looked at each other, and prepared ourselves for another horrible piece of cloth. But in stead he held up a black dress. It was long, made of velvet, and strapless. It looked classy alright, but a little conservative for Lula's taste. That was, until Mooner showed the split on the side. Wow, that would end just below her underwear. Lula started to smile.

"Mooner, my man. I think there is still hope for you" and she trotted off to try it on. When she came out, I hardly recognized her at first. I had only known Lula in bright spandex or animal print. But she looked fantastic in the dress. The dress accentuated her breasts without making the cleavage that showed look slutty. The dress was long, almost touching the floor, which made her look longer and thinner. And when she moved you could see all of her leg. Yep, this was the one, no doubt about it.

"Holy Jesus, they want some serious cash for this piece of cloth!" Lula said.

"It looks real good on you. Tank will love it!" I said.

"I suppose I just got to make this investment worthwhile," Lula said with a sly grin.

"It's a great piece, dude," Mooner added.

So that was it, Lula was buying the dress. She had some killer shoes at home she told me, so we were finished, and we all went to get some ice cream to celebrate the dress. When we were licking our cones, Lula's phone rang.

"Hello?" She started smiling when she heard the voice on the other side.

"That could have been me" Pause, smile.

"That could have been me too" Pause again, bigger smile.

"And that was definitely me"

"Well, that's for you to find out, big guy" and she hung up. I looked expectantly at her.

"That was Tank" No, really, never would have guessed with that smile on her face.

"What did he want?"

"He heard that I was shopping"

"And?"

"He wanted to know if I was the woman in a big sheet of white." That would be Mooners' first pick.

"And then he wanted to know if I had tried something red, since it was his favorite color." Mooners' second choice, although I doubt that Tank would still loved red if he had seen her in that outfit. There was simply too much red.

"And finally he heard some rumors about a sexy but classy black dress." I laughed at that. Wow, news definitely traveled fast today.

"And when he asked how sexy and classy I told him to find out for himself." She smiled.

"Dude, could we maybe get to the police station soon? There is this Star trek rerun starting at 5 that I don't want to miss." Mooner.

"No problem, we can leave now, and you will be back in front of the television in no time." I told him reassuringly. We gathered our bags and left.

--------

That night.

--------

I had checked myself in the mirror a few times. I was glad that none of the guys good see me now, I was actually really nervous. Since this afternoon I couldn't wait to see her, that dress must be really spectacular since I got a call within 5 minutes. It was time to leave. Since Ranger was gone I decided to take a chance and take one of his personal Porsches. I know there would be hell to pay if he found out (hell, who was I kidding. He always managed to find out everything, only Stephanie got to borrow his personal cars), but it was a nice opportunity to impress Lula. I was still surprised that Ranger had given Stephanie his car after she had destroyed the last couple he had given to her. And then the stay in his apartment… Tss, the man had it bad, but thanks to Lula I knew exactly why Ranger had been doing it. Some women are just worth it, and Lula was one of those women.

I rang the bell, she opened the door almost immediately and my mouth went dry. Wow! This was some dress. She looked damn classy in this outfit. And she had done something really nice with her hair as well. I held out the roses that I bought for her.

"Hi, you look wonderful" She blushed and accepted the flowers.

"You look nice too, I have never seen you in a suit before."

"I don't think I have seen you in a dress before. Give me a twirl" and I moved my finger in a little circle to show what I meant. Lula's smile turned in to a grin and I felt my pants tighten. Something was up. Slowly she started to move, swaying her hips with every little step that she took. First I didn't see much except for a really nice black dress on a beautiful woman. But when she was with her back to me and took another step I suddenly saw a part of her leg. A _large_ part. Holy fuck, I was a dead man. This dress had a split on the side right up to her thigh. You didn't see it if she was standing still, but with every move it opened and revealed her leg. And it was on her left side, the side that would be to me in the car, the side that would be towards me when we were walking... I loved _her_ for finding this dress, and I loved _myself_ for putting on some tight boxers. This was going to be a great night!

Dinner was perfect, from what I remember. From the moment that she moved to get into the car I could only focus on the leg. It was right there next to me for the whole ride. I wanted to run my hand up and down her thigh, but that seemed like a bit forward. From her smile, I'd say she knew damn well what kind of reaction this dress was giving me. During dinner she had scooted closer and closer, until her bare leg was touching my trousers and I could feel her warmth through the thin material. She had enjoyed her food, and especially her dessert which had consisted of strawberries with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

"Mmmm, Tank, this is really good" she said in a low voice, slowly putting a strawberry dripping with chocolate in her mouth.

"Mmmm, delicious" I felt my control slipping. I hadn't lost control over a situation like this for years!

"Here, try some." She held a strawberry covered in chocolate and cream in front of me. I opened my mouth, but some of the cream smeared on my upper lip.

"Oops" she giggled and then her finger was there gently wiping it away, and she licked her finger while looking me deep into my eyes. I thought I would explode. Nobody had ever had this effect on me. In a way it was frightening, but I was loving every second of it. This was a whole new experience.

Lula was quiet on the way back to her house. When we were there, she looked at me and smiled.

"Would you like to come up?" Wow, straight for the jugular. Lots of thoughts flashed through my mind.

"Lula, I want to say a few things first, will you please let me finish before you respond?" She suddenly looked scared and angry.

"Are you breaking up with me?" Why are women always jumping to conclusions?

"No, absolutely not. I just want to make sure we are thinking the same thing" She relaxed a little at that.

"Okay, say what's on your mind big guy" I had to smile at that. She was the only one whom I allowed to call me that.

"Lula, I really like you, and the more I get to know you, the more I like you. I think you look absolutely gorgeous and drop-dead sexy tonight. In the past, if you were some woman I just met on a trip, I wouldn't hesitate to accept your invitation to come up. But I have learned my lesson. Besides, the last thing that I want right now is for you to think that I am that kind of man. I am interested in building up something more serious than that. But I need to know if you are interested in the same thing…" Did anybody say I was getting soft or what?

Lula looked at me with unreadable eyes for a long minute. Then she started to smile, and I felt relieved.

"Tank, my man, I was going to offer you something to drink" I felt the heat rush to my cheeks. Shit, shit, shit! She smiled softly.

"I am not that kind of woman, well, not anymore. I have learned my lesson too. So now it has to be one hell of a man to get between my sheets, but you definitely have the potential." Glad to know.

"So, yes, I am interested in you in a more serious way. Now how about that drink?" Yes, yes, yes!

"I'd love to have a drink with you, but could you please put something over your legs? I just can't control myself much longer with that dress"

"Tank, are you saying that one dress is already enough to bring you to your knees?"

"It is when you are wearing it"


	12. Chapter 12

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 12: Distraction and attraction**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: What happens to Ranger and Stephanie in the second week after Ranger left for ****Miami**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Sorry it took so long. I'm having a bit of trouble with writers block, but I hope to conquer it soon and to update this story more frequently. Please review!**

**Distraction and attraction**

Ranger has been gone for a little over 2 weeks now. I sometimes wonder what it means that I am measuring time in the amount of days that Ranger is gone while I am divorcing Morelli. Does that make me a bad person? Does that make me in love? What does it mean? Does it mean I am simply missing a friend? Does it mean I am looking forward to his return, or dreading it? Or am I just thinking too much…

I sighed deeply and decided on the last. I needed to stop thinking before I made myself nuts. And that if it meant that I could postpone this line of thinking a little longer was only a good thing really. I smiled a little and got up from the couch in the office. Connie had just given me 2 skips, both were easy and both were regulars. Picking them up would just take 1 afternoon, and since Lula and I had just returned from a very greasy lunch in the "Cluck in a bucket", I had no excuse left but to pick myself up from the couch and start looking for my first "customer". During lunch, Lula had told me a little about her dates with Tank, but both of them were very secretive. I told Lula that it wasn't fair, since she had been pushing me for details on both Morelli and Ranger for years. She had just smiled a little and then said: "That was then, and that was you. You're life was practically public anyway, being from the Burg and everything". Imagine this, I couldn't really find fault with that line of thought…

I managed to pick both my FTA's up and had them processed at the police station before 5 pm, so I proudly handed my body receipts over to Connie at 4.45 pm. She smiled and wrote the checks for me. I would go to the bank tomorrow morning on my way to work, because this evening I had planned a little something for myself.

I had let a lot of people know that I was looking for an apartment for myself, now that Morelli and I were officially separated. I had been living with my parents for over a week, and I was going nuts. My mother kept giving me a hard time about breaking up with Morelli and inventing plans on how to get together again, because "after all, the divorce isn't finalized yet, no official harm done. You can just make up and nobody will know it happened"… Yeah, right, didn't think so. My grandmother on the other hand kept bugging me about which guys I wanted to date, now that I was "on the market again". Luckily, I had found a little place for me that was just perfect… Namely my old apartment. After I had moved out, an older lady had moved in, but she had moved into a nursing home about a month ago. I had responded quickly after I found out, and went over to take a look at the place on the same day. Turns out that after I left, the owners of the building had felt it was now safe to renovate without running the risk of having their work destroyed within weeks. So all units were modernized. New paint (nice neutral cream), new windows (modern ones that might actually be difficult to open for a burglar), new kitchen (looked nice, not that I was ever going to use it beyond the refrigerator), new carpets and curtains (deep burgundy red) and what I personally considered the biggest improvement: new bathroom! It was done in white and red accents, and looked modern but nice. I was told that some energy saving heating system was installed which didn't really interest me beyond the information that I would basically never run out of hot water. Also, the rent was slightly higher, but I didn't mind, since I considered the improvements worth it. The fire escape had been painted and I now had an official balcony. As a final touch, the front doors had been replaced with new locks as well… But somehow I still thought that Ranger would manage to get in if he wanted. I had moved all my stuff 2 days ago, and had spent the last couple of nights unpacking. Most of the boxes were empty now, and it started to feel like home again.

But tonight I was going to initiate my bathroom properly. I had planned a night of true pampering for myself. I washed my hair under the shower, scrubbed, shaved and then put a 'hair regeneration mask' in. It smelled nice and promised 'soft and wonderful curls' so I had high hopes. Then I filled the tub with hot water and delicious bath gel and started on my face. I washed it, gave it a gentle peeling and then put on a mask. I had brought my cd/radio player with me in the bathroom, together with some scented candles, and now leaned back in the bath enjoying the smell of Vanilla and the sound of 'relaxation volume 1'. Oh, a woman could get used to this. After 20 minutes I washed my face and my hair and got out, moving myself, cd player and candles into the living room. There I lotioned myself from top to bottom and painted my nails deep pink. I finally felt some inner peace again, after all the emotions of the last couple of weeks. After my toenails became deep pink too, I brushed my hair and it looked like the hair mask might actually do what it promised. I watched some TV and decided at 11.30 pm that it was my bedtime. I fell asleep feeling relaxed and at ease with my new life.

----------

My hands gripped the steering wheel tighter while I tried to keep my face blank. Jeez, how hard was it for some women to accept that I just wasn't interested without turning them into angry bitches who scared my child! I was in Miami for a little over 2 weeks now, and I was starting to loose some control. Yes, you heard it correctly, I was starting to loose some control. I had been spending a lot of time with Sofia, and I had started to pick her up from school in the afternoons whenever I could to spend some time over a drink before dropping her off at Anna's house. It hadn't taken long for some women to start coming on to me. It had actually taken exactly the amount of time it took for the bruises to heal. After my first week, on Wednesday, I had worn my usual black outfit and mirrored shades and had waited outside the car. This way I had a good view of the whole street and the front of the school. I had been focused on checking things out, so I had almost missed all the looks that were coming my way. Almost. First I had thought that they were probably keeping their distance, thinking about what Anna had said about her ex husband and his lifestyle. But I was wrong; they were simply taking their time checking me out. It hadn't taken long before a woman had come over and introduced herself. I realized I was in a difficult position now, since I couldn't walk away until I had picked Sofia up. Glancing at my watch it would still take about 5 minutes. Damn, damn, damn. The lady was talking about her son, and how difficult it was being a single parent and bla bla bla. Sorry, but I zoned out (as Steph would put it) to give my full attention to the things happening in the street. Since I was wearing mirrored shades, she couldn't see the movement of my eyes. Suddenly I realized she had stopped talking, looking expectantly at me.

"What?" No need to be nicer than necessary.

"I was asking you for a drink, you know, to discuss our children." Yeah, right.

"No, thanks." And just leave, please.

"Are you sure?" Definitely.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Your loss." She said, while she smiled what I suppose was meant as a seductive smile. I don't think so, lady.

Glad to be finally alone again, I took to checking out the street with a little more detail. Three minutes to go. I had the feeling I was being watched, and turned around. There was another lady leaning against my car, not hiding her attraction to my body. Her eyes wandered down and up again, and she licked her lips. What is wrong with women these days? Since when did women become so unafraid of my dangerous exterior? I was wearing a utility belt with gun, pepper spray and cuffs in full view. I was obviously not a cop, so I could be dangerous. I simply turned my back at her again, still registering her every motion, but hoping to give off a clear signal. She walked around the car until she stood at the side. I tried to ignore her the best I could. Luckily I was saved by the bell, and soon Sofia came running at me. I caught her easily and swung her around.

"Daddy!"

"Sofia! How was school?"

"It was great, we will start sex education in Biology next week!" Holy mother Mary of God!

"Really?"

"Yes, Mom gave permission for me to attend the lessons. And I got picked to play in the school play in 3 months." That's my girl.

"That's great. What will you play?"

"We will hear tomorrow after class."

Two day later, at Friday, Sofia has seemed quiet in the car on the way to my house. She would stay with me the whole weekend, and I had a few things planned.

"What's wrong, darling?"

"Nothing, Daddy." But her face said something else entirely.

"Come on, Sofia, you can say anything to me."

She stayed quiet for a while, but I could see her brain working. She seemed to be weighing the options of telling me and risking my reaction or not telling me, but hiding something from me. That was something she didn't want to do either. She seemed to decide she wanted to risk it.

"Daddy, today in class…. Some of the other kids said…. I mean… Ms. Hartley said that you were… That… eh… well…" She looked at me with lost eyes. I parked the car and turned to her.

"What is it that they were saying, Sofia?" I had a bloody good idea what was being said, but I needed Sofia to say it herself.

"They said… They said… that… eh…" Tears were pooling in her eyes. My poor baby. I picked her out of her seat and put her in my lap. She hugged me tight and then whispered in my ear.

"Daddy, is it… is it true that you… killed… people?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 13: Serious talk**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Ranger talks to ****Sofia**** and Steph comes to an unexpected conclusion**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Thanks for the nice reviews! Hope you like this chapter as well. More to come in the future. (Don't want to make promises I can't keep, so I won't say when I'm posting again... ;) )**

**Serious talk**

Damn, I just had another perfect example why my life didn't lend itself to relationships. I had a child that heard horrible things about me. True or not, other children might hear a rumor about their family but usually not in the 'killing' category. More in the 'I saw her kissing him' category. I was thinking fast how to answer this question. I didn't want to lie, but I didn't want her to misunderstand either. I was no cold blooded murderer, but that didn't mean that I had never caused someone's death.

"Sofia, you know about Daddy's job right? That I bring back bad people to prison, so the Judge can punish them?" She nodded yes.

"Sometimes these people don't want to go back to prison, and they get really angry. And when I am the person who needs to bring them back, they sometimes try to prevent that." It was the understatement of the century considering what I had experienced from people who "didn't want to go back and tried to prevent that". Almost none of them wanted to go back (the ones who did usually had the assignment to kill someone on the inside or a contract on their head) and they tried to 'prevent' it by fighting with everything they had. Guns, knifes, assorted assault weapons and good old fists and legs.

"So sometimes they will try to hurt me, to stop me from bringing them back to prison. And if they try to hurt me, then I have to defend myself."

Sofia looked at me with big eyes.

"They try to hurt you, Daddy? But why, you are only doing your job." At least I managed to shield her as much as possible from this aspect of life.

"Because usually people don't like to be punished. You don't like it when Anna sends you up to your room, do you? Even if you deserved it." Her eyes lit up in understanding. Sort of, anyway.

"Anyway, when they shoot at me, I will defend myself."

"So you shoot at people too, Daddy?"

"Yes, I do. But only when necessary."

"Do you sometimes hurt people, Daddy?" I didn't like where this was going. For a second I thought about how I hurt Stephanie, emotionally. But that wasn't what Sofia was talking about. Phew…

"Yes, sometimes people get hurt."

"Did someone die because you hurt them, Daddy?" She is too smart for her own good, I could see where this was going now.

"Yes, darling, they did," I said with a soft sigh. I had no idea how Sofia would respond to this. She seemed to be thinking deep thoughts. She was studying me, and it made me uncomfortable. I tried to look at her as friendly and open as possible. Then she seemed to have reached a conclusion. She put her arms around my neck again and cuddled close to me.

"I still love you, Daddy." I felt a deep inner relieve.

"I will always love you too, Sofia."

Suddenly she withdrew again and looked confused.

"Daddy… You said that you did bad things to people, because they were hurting you." They were _trying_ to hurt me…

"Yes?" Oh God, where was she going this time with her mind?

"Does that make me a bad person too?" Huh?

"How do you mean?"

"I love you, even though you did bad things… So am I a bad person too, because I love you?" Her thoughts were as difficult to follow as Stephs on occasion.

"Oh sweetie! Of course you aren't a bad person because you love me. It makes you an even better person. You realize that even people who do bad things, can be good people. You look beyond the surface, and that is a big quality in people." She seemed satisfied with that answer, and I was very relieved that we had this conversation behind us. She wasn't yet old enough to hear about the things Rangeman did, and how they did it. One day I would explain it to her, if she was interested. If not, I would never drag her into that side of my life. But if she was, I would never lie to her. There were three persons in this world that I would never lie to: Tank, Stephanie and Sofia.

-----

I sat down on the couch in the office. The last couple of days had been slow. Only two FTA's, and I had caught them both already. Now I was finished, but I didn't feel like going home yet. So I sat on the couch and chatted with Connie about the latest gossip. We stopped when we saw a black SUV stop in front of the office. My heart made a huge jump, but settled again when I saw Lula and Tank getting out. These days I seemed to notice all expensive black cars driving in the streets. Ranger had been gone for a little over 3 weeks now, and I was hoping he would be returning to Trenton soon.

Connie and I looked at each other and smiled. Lula and Tank were definitely in love. They spent each free minute together, going out, getting to know each other. I was wondering what would happen when Ranger returned. I mean, it was obvious that Tank was having a lot more 'spare time' than usual. But for now they seemed to be without a care in the world. I felt a small pang of jealousy. This was how I had felt with Ranger sometimes, and with Joe a lot of the times that we were together. To feel like you are floating around, walking on air. That the rain seems to fall around you in stead of on top of you, that the sun is always shining for you and that nobody can hurt you. That feeling, I missed that feeling. But I also realized, while Tank and Lula were putting on a pretty good kissing show in front of the office, that it didn't last in my relationships. Not with Dicky, and in the end not with Morelli either. Maybe I wasn't cut out for long term commitments. Maybe my lifestyle didn't lend itself to relationships…


	14. Chapter 14

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 14: He's back!**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Ranger is back. **  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Sorry it took so long. Life seems to be happening while you were making other plans. It is just a short chapter, to get started again. Hope to continue this soon. Please review!**

**He's back!**

He is back. That has been the one thing on my mind for the past 2 hours. I don't know how I feel about it really. I was sooo happy when I heard his voice on the telephone again, telling me he was back in town. Or actually on his way from the airport to the city. And then he asked me if I was available for a distraction job tonight. I said yes. Of course I said yes, I have never said no to him, and I don't expect that to happen anytime soon. So here I am in my newly renovated apartment, preparing myself physically for tonight while my mind tries to prepare mentally. I had just finished shaving, washing my hair and face and putting lotion all over me. I had selected my outfit with extreme care. I was nervous. I felt like my body was betraying my mind. Not even a week ago had I reached the conclusion that my life and lifestyle didn't lend itself to relationships, and I get one call from Ranger and I am feeling nervous and jumpy and excited and I don't know what else. I haven't even been officially divorced yet from Morelli. I feel bad. I started putting my makeup on. Ranger's description of the clothes had been "mildly slutty", which had made perfect sense to me, but I just hoped we had been on the same page when he said it. So I had chosen a black short dress, with nice neckline and a few sparkles on it that showed when I moved. Nice FMP's complemented this outfit. My makeup was medium heavy, using dark colours around my eyes. My curls hanging loosely around me. I looked in the mirror and felt satisfied. Yes, I looked good.

The doorbell rang, and I checked my watch. Mmm, either Ranger was early, or someone was paying me an unexpected visit. I checked the peephole… Shit, Morelli. I opened the door and he looked surprised at my outfit.

"Hi."

"Hi, you look nice."

"Thanks."

Then a shadow fell over his face. He probably started thinking about the reason why I looked the way I did. I was wondering if I should volunteer any information or leave him hanging.

"Are you going out tonight?"

" Ehm, no, not really. I have a distraction job." He looked slightly confused, I hadn't done distraction jobs for ages, since I had stopped working with Ranger a long time ago. It felt like a long time anyway.

"For Vinnie?"

"No." Suddenly realisation crossed his face and I could see him getting irritated.

"The man didn't waste much time." I couldn't really blame Morelli for saying it, but I still didn't like it.

"It's just work, Joe." I said softly. And suddenly I realised that that was what I wanted it to be. Just work. I didn't want to think about ulterior motives, about possible feelings, about opportunities. I just wanted to do my job tonight and get paid for it in hard currency. I needed to take a break from this relationship shit. I might still enjoy looking at Ranger and being close to him, but I know realised that part of my nervousness tonight had been about HIS expectations for tonight. I didn't want him to think I was really available yet. I simply wasn't. I had been married for 3 years, for God's sake, nobody expected me to just go on like nothing happened. I probably was the only one. I might have my old apartment back, but that didn't mean that I had my old life back. Just as my apartment looked very different from the old days, so did my life. And that was okay, but I did need some time to get used to that. Joe seemed to see in my eyes that I really wasn't that interested in Ranger at the moment, and just had a job to do tonight.

"Sorry."

"No need, it's okay." I smiled softly at him and gave him a small hug while I whispered in his ear:

"Don't dare to think that I would forget you that fast." We looked at each other, and I felt two huge tears forming in my eyes. He looked apologetic and I swallowed. It was still hard to get physically close to him and then having to realise that we weren't in that kind of relationship anymore. He gently brushed my tears from my cheeks and gave me a small kiss on my cheek.

"I didn't think you forgot about me, but I thought that maybe Manoso did." He smiled cheekily at me to lighten the mood and it helped. I smiled back at him.

"Why did you come over?"

"I just wanted to drop some stuff off and see your new house." He handed me a bag which was filled with some little things. I quickly looked and saw a book, a few cd's and some other stuff.

"Come in, I have about 10 minutes before I have to leave. Would you like a quick drink?"

"No thanks, just had dinner."

He walked in and looked around, admiring the new kitchen, bathroom and colours.

"Looks nice, Steph."

"Yeah, I am really pleased that I got back my old place with all these improvements. How about you? Do you like your new place?" He had found an apartment not that far away from the police station, on the other site of town.

"Yeah, it's nice. You should come by some time."

"Yes, I'll do that." And then there was this awkward silence that is between former lovers who are trying to establish a friendship but aren't quite there yet.

"Well, eh, I'll better get going then."

"Thanks for coming by."

"Take care."

"You too."

He turned around and opened the door, to reveal Ranger standing there. I couldn't quite read the look on his face, but somehow he didn't seem very pleased to see Joe at my place.

"Manoso."

"Morelli." Joe turned around and gave me a last smile and wink and left. I couldn't help but smile back, because Joe had read the mood just right. He knew that I wasn't after a relationship with Ranger, at least not now. The dressing up was for the job and not for Ranger. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't try to get Ranger off balance, even if it was just for old time's sake.


	15. Chapter 15

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 15: Game… **  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Ranger explains the job.**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**It's been ages, I know! Sorry about that. Big applause to all the writers who manage to combine jobs, families and writing, I unfortunately haven't mastered that art yet… J** **Please review!**

_He turned around and opened the door, to reveal Ranger standing there. I couldn't quite read the look on his face, but somehow he didn't seem very pleased to see Joe at my place. _

_"Manoso."_

_"Morelli."_ _Joe turned around and gave me a last smile and wink and left. I couldn't help but smile back, because Joe had read the mood just right. He knew that I wasn't after a relationship with Ranger, at least not now. The dressing up was for the job and not for Ranger. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't try to get Ranger off balance, even if it was just for old time's sake._

**Game…**

Ranger watched as Morelli exited the door and closed it softly behind him. In my mind I could hear Morelli chuckle in the hallway. Then he turned to me with an unreadable expression on his face. He looked me up and down, as I looked him up and down. The last time I had seen him, had been when somebody had kicked his ass. Now all the bruising was gone and it looked like he had spent some time outside in the sun. In summary, he looked excellent again. Today he was wearing a black pair of trousers and a nice loose hanging black shirt with buttons. He had the top couple of buttons open, and it revealed a small golden necklace around his neck. The sleeves were rolled up to just above his elbows, showing part of his strong arms and a bracelet around his wrist. Also gold. I didn't know yet what the plan was for tonight, but I had a pretty good idea from looking at Ranger. I guessed that Ranger would be the inside man, his responsibility would be to safeguard my body in case of any emergency. Either that, or he would play my boyfriend with whom I would get into a fight, but somehow that scenario didn't seem likely right now.

"Hi." I said.

"Babe." Was his response. I mean: this man could baffle you with his rhetoric skills.

"So, what's the plan for tonight?" I asked, while I turned around to look for my chosen purse. Let's see if my impression from earlier was right.

"Team at the front, team at the back door, one man inside." Like I said, the man gives speeches for free.

"So who is the target?"

"I have the file in the car."

"Great, let's go."

He held the door open for me, and I hopped in. I grabbed the file from the dashboard and started reading. I hadn't heard from Joe Freeman before, but apparently Joe felt that if he didn't want to pay for something, he could just take it for free. From his long list of arrests I could see that he had started small, taking some household items like a blender, an icemachine and a breadmaker (he must be quite a cook then) moving on to more expensive items like mp3 players, pocket pc's and other electronics. If you saw the full list by now, it almost looked like he was decorating a house. However, lately he must have gotten a girlfriend, because his last theft had been a handful of expensive jewellery from a well-known jewellery store in town. He had posed as a customer, wanting to buy something "special" and when the salesperson had brought him a couple of examples of their top products he had shown his way of paying: a gun. Then he simply grabbed a handful and had fled the store. He had managed to grab two necklaces, a ring and three bracelets, total value over 1 million dollars! That was the reason why this guy had ended up on Rangers stack. It was believed that the goods were still in his ownership, so Ranger wanted to move fast. Probably he would get a nice fat cheque from the jeweller's insurance company if he returned the goods without damage…

I smiled when I looked at the pictures of the items that he had taken. The guy had great taste! He seemed to have a preference for modern design, with large square stones and smaller ones around it. Looking more closely now, I could see he actually managed to grab a whole set of matching items. One of the necklaces, the ring and one of the bracelets all had the same design: all made from platinum, all having at least one large square diamond in them, surrounded by smaller diamonds. All he was missing were the earrings! I couldn't help but chuckle. Poor guy, no woman would buy the set without the earrings.

I looked up to find Ranger looking at me intently. We had somehow arrived at this nice bar which Joe apparently visited regularly. Ranger had parked the car in the shadow and I could see another Rangemen vehicle parked about 50 metres away. The front team. The back team was probably invisible. To me anyway.

"Something funny, Babe?"

"Did you see that he grabbed a matching set without the earrings?" I asked, with a big smile on my face. I wondered if Ranger had realised what that meant.

"So?" Obviously he hadn't realised what that meant.

"What woman do you think will want to buy a nice set, if she can't get earrings to match? No wonder he hasn't sold any of it." I said. Ranger looked like he was thinking about smiling. But then his look changed and I could feel chills going down my spine. Something was up.

"Maybe the woman who already has the earrings?" He said, and pulled out a little box which he opened. It revealed a set of platinum earrings with large square diamonds. The diamonds were dangling free, attached to the platinum in one corner. Around the large diamond, smaller square cut diamonds were sparkling. They were absolutely stunning. And probably absolutely unaffordable for any normal person. Like me. Okay, maybe not me as in normal, but me as in my income bracket. Happy now?

A soft "wow" escaped my lips, and this time Ranger really smiled.

"You're going in, wearing the earrings. He will notice that and we think that he will try to get you outside, either to sell you the rest or to grab the earrings from you," Ranger explained tonights plan. I almost felt a little bit deflated. I wasn't the main attraction tonight, I was just the person carrying the real thing, namely the earrings. Ranger, as always, read my mind perfectly.

"Babe, you look stunning. With or without them." I looked at the earrings again, and I suddenly realised their value.

"Are these insured?" I asked Ranger. Better to ask upfront, right? The corners or Ranger's mouth went up.

"It's been taken care of." Now why didn't that answer satisfy me?


	16. Chapter 16

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 16: Set… **  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Steph goes inside the bar. **  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Thank you for the reviews! I know that I make some errors in spelling and grammar. Sorry about that, English is not my mother tongue. If anybody wants to become my beta reader, please let me know! Other than that: hope you enjoy!**

_"You're going in, wearing the earrings. He will notice that and we think that he will try to get you outside, either to sell you the rest or to grab the earrings from you," Ranger explained tonights plan. I almost felt a little bit deflated. I wasn't the main attraction tonight, I was just the person carrying the real thing, namely the earrings. Ranger, as always, read my mind perfectly. _

_"Babe, you look stunning. With or without them." I looked at the earrings again, and I suddenly realised their value._

_"Are these insured?" I asked Ranger. Better to ask upfront, right? The corners or Ranger's mouth went up. _

_"It's been taken care of." Now why didn't that answer satisfy me?_

**Set…**

"Mmm," was all that I could come up with as an answer. I mean, what kind of an answer was that from Ranger. Where they insured, or not? On the other hand, I had asked the question, and he basically had said not to worry. So I'd better not. I looked doubtful at Ranger one last time, but then decided to let it go.

"Alright, I'm ready to go inside."

"Hang on, you need to wear a wire."

"Oh, yeah, that's right." There was a moment of awkward silence while Ranger rummaged through the glove compartment and took out the box containing the wire. I was wondering if he would put it on me himself, or if he would let me do it. He seemed to sense my uneasiness and gave the box to me. Despite a feeling of relieve I also felt disappointed. I mean, it's always good to have a nice man touching your body, right? I quickly put on the wire and looked at Ranger again. His pupils were slightly dilated and his eyes were fixed on my breasts, right where the little microphone had disappeared between them. I felt a warm glow going through me, and a red colour was probably on my cheeks. Ranger's head snapped up and he smiled a little at me. I almost jumped out of the car.

Outside the car I took a few calming breaths and smiled a little at myself. I know I shouldn't say this, but it felt good to be able to capture the attention from Ranger like that. I whispered a quick "thanks" to my breasts, realised that the wire was there, and probably turned on, and added a soft "shit". Than I wondered what the people at the other end of the line were thinking. Probably laughing already… Oh well, glad I could entertain someone tonight. I quickly checked my hair and walked towards the bar. Let's do this.

The bar was already quite full, and there was some loud music playing from a jukebox. I let my eyes adjust to the dimmed light, and saw that my target was sitting at the bar, watching a sports game on the tv hanging in a corner. I walked over to the bar and saw that Ranger had already somehow found his way in and was sitting in a corner. You guessed it, with his back to the wall and facing the exit. I slowly sat myself on a seat and saw that Joe's eyes were drawn to my ears like flies to honey. Okay, Ranger's hunch was obviously right. The man wanted the earrings bad. I gave him a quick smile and said hello. He greeted back and kept staring at my ears. Okay… I ordered myself a glass of red wine (better to start slow) and he immediately leaned forward to me and said "please, allow me". Alright, the man already had had a couple of beers, I could smell his breath a mile away. I managed a thanks over my impulse to turn my head away and kept smiling. And there the eyes went again, towards my ears. It didn't matter what I would have worn tonight, even naked or in plastic bags, this guy only had eyes for the earrings.

"I'm sorry to stare at you like that, I just love your earrings." No shit.

"Well, thanks. I saw them once and bought them immediately. I was told that there was a matching necklace and everything but I've never seen anything like this again." Okay, this was pretty fast-forward, but I figured that he only had tunnel vision by now, so he wouldn't notice.

"Oh, really?" Nope, blinded by the bling-bling.

"Yeah, it is a real pity really, because I would love to have more of this design. It's quite something isn't it?" I almost pee my pants wearing these things, they are soooo expensive. No way I would ever want to wear a whole set of this stuff!

"Maybe I can help you," he said.

"Really? How?" Let's see how he sold this story.

"Well, you see, I'm a sales agent for a jewellery factory, and I have just the things that you have been looking for!" Okay, not half bad.

"You do?" I pretended I was absolutely thrilled by this revelation, and that I had no doubt whatsoever about his story.

"Yeah lady, it's your lucky day. I just got this set today that was returned to a store because the customer couldn't find a matching set of earrings. And they are no longer in production so we took it back." Wow, the guy had a great fantasy.

"No, really?" I was trying for the 'I'm soooo baffled' tone, and I think it was working. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Ranger coughing and trying to keep his drink inside. Hey, I should get an award for this acting performance; I can compete with the best!

"Yeah, I just picked it up today. It's in my car. We can look at it right now, if you want to." Wow, the man didn't waste any time getting rid of that stuff.

"Oh, you would do that for me?" I batted my eyelashes at him.

"No problem, lady. And because they are no longer produced we almost feared we couldn't sell this half set at all, so I can cut you a very nice deal." Wow, he wanted to get rid of them bad!

"Oh, that would be sooo nice of you!" I babbled on. Ranger looked almost purple by now.

"Okay, let's go then," he said. We got up and walked to the exit together.


	17. Chapter 17

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 17: Match(ed)… **  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: The takedown, Stephanie style… **  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Matched**

I assumed that all the guys on the other side of the wire would have heard the conversation, so I didn't feel worried at all when I followed the guy outside. Stupid me, I should have known things never go nice and quiet with me! As soon as we got outside, a lot of things happened all at once. I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye (Ranger's guys) but then there was also movement in front of me. It was Joey. He suddenly had a knife in one hand, and my hair in the other.

"Lady, those earrings are exactly…" he started, breathing beer smelling breath into my ear. Yeew! But then he saw the guys from Ranger standing around him, guns drawn, and realized he had a problem. And in stead of turning himself over (which any normal person would have done, facing 3 large men in the dark) he apparently was still blinded by the earrings. So the hand in my hair was suddenly half across my neck, grabbing one of my ears!

"One step closer, and the lady loses the ear!" Oh…. My…. God….! Why did this always happen to me? I had been threatened before, but never ever in my life did a guy threaten to cut my ear off, because there was a something-carat diamond earring in it. I could see Ranger to my left, and shot him a murderous look. He was, after all, the man who came up with this plan. And he was soooo gonna pay for this plan.

I could see that there was a lot of silent communication going on between the guys. Probably they weren't briefed for a situation like this. Probably they thought it would be a simple takedown. Probably they should have thought twice, it is me we're talking about! I just tried to stand as quiet as I could. Not only did I not want to loose an ear, he also still held a piece of hair in his hand, I also didn't want to have to make another visit to Mr. Alexander after this was over. I like my hair, despite it being unruly, wild and sometimes completely out of control, when push came to shove, I liked it. It belonged to me. And let's not forget the careful preparation that went into this night. My hair was falling down in nice smooth curls, and I was not about to let some guy ruin my good hair day. I was getting pissed off. We were all just standing there: Joey with the knife to my ear, pulling me against him, and we were surrounded by 3 big guys in black.

"Would you mind? Your pulling my hair." Oookaaay… Did that just come from my mouth. Probably, by the look on the faces from the guys around me.

"Shut up!" That was Joey. He pulled me closer to him, which provoked some movement towards him from Ranger. Joey half twisted me with hand in hair and knife to ear and all to face Ranger.

"Hold it, big guy, one more step and the ear is gone." Ranger had an unreadable look on his face. I could feel the knife painfully against the top of my ear. Damn, damn, damn.

"Let her go." Wow, that will really win him over.

"No way, she has the earrings, she stays with me." Okay, you got to hand it to the guy: no matter what happened, he stayed focused.

"Listen, if it is the earrings you want, you can have them," I said. I figured that that was why we were all here anyway. Ranger and his guys could jump his neck also when he was in possession of the earrings, as long as I wasn't attached to them, right? Right, I figured you would agree.

"Smart girl. But first I need Mr. Manoso and his people to move away. I'm not stupid. As long as I have you, I have nothing to fear from them. I know they would never do anything to harm you." Wow, the guy was well-informed… I tried to send out the right vibes to Ranger. Namely: back off, I love my ears! But they didn't move. They just stood there. By now, a few people who had been passing us had stopped and were now watching the whole scene. I could hear someone saying that they called the police. Perfect, the last thing I needed was for Trenton finest to witness another of my episodes. I sent a small praying upwards, hoping that Joe wouldn't get the call, but knew it was almost impossible.

"One last warning. I said: back off or the lady looses the ear!" Joey was getting impatient, and so was I. Why weren't they doing anything? Oh, wait, maybe because any move they made would result in me losing my ear. Unless they backed off of course. More silent communication, and slowly they started to take a few steps back. The guns went down, and they were now standing at about 15 feet away from us. Joey relaxed a little bit, and I was glad, the knife wasn't that close to my ear anymore.

"Let me take those earrings out for you." I was trying to be helpful. Burg upbringing and everything… I started to raise my hands when I saw movement from Ranger. He had moved further to the left, and was now standing almost behind me. Joey apparently saw it too, because the knife moved and he had a chunk of my hair in his hands. What! And again he twisted me to face Ranger, and this time my heel was stuck in the ground, so I felt a sharp pain going through my ankle as it twisted. Owwww! Why me!

"Hold it! I swear her ear is next!" And that was when I had enough. I literally felt myself boil over. Here I was, standing in some parking lot getting threatened by a drunken guy who was chopping away at my hair! I couldn't let that happen. So I lifted my good food and put the heel firmly down on his toes. I think I hit a toe pretty hard, because I could hear a crack…

"No… (stomp) cutting… (stomp) the…. (stomp) hair…. (stomp)" I gritted out through my teeth. Suddenly Joey was on the ground howling in pain, as Hal was sitting on top of him and cuffing him. I looked at my poor hair, trying to assess the damage, when Ranger materialized at my side.

"Babe." Was all he said. And I boiled over a second time.

"You!" I yelled at him, and he actually flinched.

"Look at what he did to my hair! Do you know how long it will take to get this back? Just when the Fisher Cat damage was gone, now this! How could you think that this was a good plan? He practically sliced my ears off!" I was taking a step towards Ranger to do the stabbing in the chest with finger routine when I felt sharp pains shooting up my ankle. I stumbled and practically fell in Ranger's arms.

"Babe" Ranger said, this time on a smile. No, no, no! I had just getting started on my little ranting and raving, and now it looked like I threw myself into his arms. Ranger's arms went over around me, and for a short moment I was lost in a little Bulgari smelling world of pleasure. But then I heard the sirens of the police cars, no doubt coming towards our location. It pulled me out of my little reverie and I pulled myself out of his embrace. With a "Your paying for the next 3 haircuts" accompanied by a last angry look I wobbled over to the first arrived police car. It was actually Morelli.

"Steph, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just twisted my ankle. It's nothing."

"What's happened to your hair?"

"Joey over there cut off a piece."

"Jesus. Why did he do that?"

"Don't ask, don't ask," I said on a sigh. I mean: how to explain all this? I wanted to get out of here ASAP, and explaining this would only lead to further questioning.

"Right. Only you, Cupcake." I saw a little smile creeping at the corners of his mouth, and I shot him an angry look. But I couldn't help myself, and the angry look started to turn into a small smile. I guess you could say the bombshell bounty hunter was back!

Behind me, Ranger cleared his throat. I turned around and looked at him.

"He had the set of jewelry in his car. It's almost complete." I looked at the items in front of me. Even in the faint light of the street lights I could see them sparkling brightly. It really was a stunning set. I could see why Joey had gone for this one. I sighed once more. I would never wear stuff like that. I could see myself wearing some stunning long black dress, split at the sides, low back and then having all these stones….

"Babe…" Ranger stopped my little dream. His smile told me he had guessed where my mind had gone.

"What?"

"The earrings?" Oh, right. I took the earrings out and placed them in the 2 open spots in the box. Now the set was complete again, and everything matched. Ranger handed the set over to one of his guys and turned to me again.

"You might want to have someone check that ankle".

"I'll be fine, it just needs some ice." It was actually starting to hurt, but I didn't feel like going to the ER now. Most likely I would have to wait for 2 hours to hear what I already knew: nothing broken, put ice on it and stay of your feet for a day or 2.

"You might want to take his advice, cupcake, " Joe said. Since when did those two agree?

"Mmmph… Fine!"

"I'll take her," Ranger said to Joe, who seemed to consider protesting that statement. I was about to wobble my way to the car to get out of there myself when I felt myself being lifted into the air and then cradled against a broad chest. I looked up into brown eyes.

"Tank!" I said, not hiding my surprise.

"Hello bombshell. Lula and I just happen to be in the neighborhood. We'll drive you to the hospital and keep you company." Aww, that was nice of them! I looked up over Tanks shoulder and saw Morelli and Ranger standing side by side, watching me being carried away. They both looked like their candy had been taken away. Hah, served them right! I waved a little finger wave at them and a little playful smile. I could already hear the music coming from Tanks' car. Yep, Lula had the stereo cranked up to maximum level again. It was the perfect end to this evening.


	18. Chapter 18

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 18: Planning!**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Steph has a plan… **  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them**

**Planning!**

When Tank opened the door to the backseat, Lula turned around and just looked at me with a friendly smile.

"Hey girl," she said.

"Lula, how was your evening?" I asked.

"It was great, we had a lovely dinner. We were actually on our way to Tank's place (knowing look over her shoulder to me) when we heard about your little adventure. We thought we might take a look to see if we could help you." It was implied that Ranger wouldn't need help, but I chose to ignore it.

"That was nice of you guys, thanks."

"No problem, girl."

The rest of the ride we chatted about important issues, like the importance of good donuts (never around when you needed them most), clothes (you could never have enough) and men (always around, but not the way you wanted it mostly) while Tank drove to the hospital. There they kept me company until the nurse said that somebody could look at my ankle now. It had started to swell and looked quite blue already. The doctor turned, twisted and pulled and said that nothing was broken (told you!), but that he would ask one of the nurses to put on a bandage that would support the joint for the next week. I had to visit my GP in 5 days to have the swelling checked and until that time I would have to use crutches and keep my foot elevated. Great… Another 45 minutes and I was trying to get used to the crutches while we were on our way out again.

"Home, Bombshell?" Tank asked.

"Yes, please." There was nothing more that I wanted than to go home, have a shower to wash the awful beer smell from Joey of me and crawl into bed. Mmm, maybe a bath would be better, I could hang my foot over the edge then, because of the bandage. Whatever, really.

When we arrived at my apartment, Tank helped me out and they both came up with me to make sure I would make it safely inside. When the water was running in the bath and Tank was sure that there were no evil persons in my apartment, we all stood in the living room, looking at each other.

"Are you gonna be all right, girl?" Lula asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A good night's sleep and I'm as good as new," I answered. I expected that I looked less than okay. I expected my hair looked like a tangled mess, I expected that my make up had migrated south of it's original location and I knew that I smelled of beer and hospitals.

"You want us to stay?" Lula asked. I was touched by her question, because I knew that she had had other plans for tonight.

"No really, I'm fine. You two go ahead and enjoy the rest of your evening." I knew that since Ranger was back they weren't able to spend as much time together as in the beginning. And besides, I didn't want either of them sitting next to the bathtub while I was soaking. I considered both of them my friends, but I do not run around naked in front of my friends. I'm not that kind of person. I smiled encouraging at the two of them and they started to move towards the door.

When Lula opened the door, a thought crossed my mind and the word "Tank" had already left my mouth before I could stop it. He turned back and walked back towards me. He looked curiously at me. I suppose the tone in which his name had left my mouth had triggered his curiosity. The thought flashed again through my mind and the idea settled itself more firmly into my mind. Yes, the more I thought about it, the better it felt. It would solve so much of my current problems! The sound of Tank's voice brought me back to reality.

"Stephanie?"

"Sorry, I kind of zoned out for a moment."

"It looked like they were happy thoughts."

"Yes," I said thoughtfully, "they were."

I took a deep breath to put my plan into action.

"Could you pass a message on to Ranger for me?" I asked quietly so Lula wouldn't hear. Tank looked at me intently before he answered.

"That would be possible."

"Could you tell him that I will leave town as soon as possible and that I don't want him to follow me or contact me in any way. I will get in touch with him when I am back."

"Where are you going, Bombshell?" Tank asked quietly. He looked very seriously and a little bit worried. No wonder, it is me we're talking about.

"I'm going away. That's all I want to say. I know that if I tell you more, Ranger will see that you know more about this, and I'm sure he'll find a way to get it out of you. I just want to be alone for a while. Get things into perspective. Clear my head." I looked pleadingly at Tank, hoping he would understand. Tank looked back, and then straightened his shoulders, his mind made up.

"I will give him your message, but I can't guarantee that he won't try to find you anyway." Tank looked doubtful. I realised that Tank had a point. I had to give Ranger a reason not to try to find me. Or at least do it in such a way that I wouldn't notice it. I assumed that if Ranger really put his heart into it, he himself could follow me without my own knowledge. A thought popped into my mind.

"Tell Ranger he will loose my respect and friendship if he can't honour my wish," I slowly said to Tank, while looking straight into his eyes. Our eyes held each other for a while, and then Tank looked straight back at me when he said:

"You got it, girl."

He gave me a big hug and whispered a warm "good luck" in my ear. Then he turned around, walked through the door and closed it softly behind him. I felt strangely relieved about my last-minute decision. While I was swimming in my bathtub, my brain worked on my plan. It was going to be good, I knew it!

"Yo."

"Yo. How's Steph?"

"She's fine, a couple of days of rest and she's good as new."

"Good to know."

"Hang on; she wanted me to give you a message."

"I'm listening."

"Do not contact her again or follow her in any way until she contacts you. She's leaving town."

"What?"

"She's leaving town asap. She asked me to tell you not to try to follow her or contact her in any way until further notice. She will get in touch when she is back."   
"Right."

"She said you will loose her friendship and respect if you do."

Silence…

"Right..."

"Told you not to push her too soon."

"Fuck off."

Dial tone.

After 35 minutes of soaking I couldn't stay in the bathtub any longer. My leg was asleep from hanging over the side and my mind was bursting with ideas. I wanted to put my plan in motion immediately. I knew that Ranger would not stay away for very long after only one message from Tank, so I wanted to leave my apartment tonight. I hobbled through my bedroom, getting the stuff together that I wanted to take. Then I made a couple of last calls.

"Hi, it's me."

"Steph."

"Listen, I want to ask you a favour."

"Sure, anything for you."

"Say I wanted to live under a different identity for a while. Any ideas on how to do that?"

Silence.

"Come again?"

"A different identity, how would I get documents and so on?"

"Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No, I just want to leave town for a while and live in peace and quiet."

"Right."

"Yes."

Silence.

"Does this have to do with Manoso?"

"No, Joe, just with me."

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll get back to you."

"You can reach me on my cell."

"Okay."

"Thanks, Joe. I really appreciate it."

"No problem….. Good luck."

"Thanks. … You too."

"Good evening, American Airlines reservations, how my I help you?"

"Hi, which flights do you still have available in the next 5 hours."

"Let's see… eh, in 3 hours you could fly to Los Angeles, and New York. In 4 hours there are still seats open to several destinations in Canada, Tampa and Miami."

"Which cities in Canada?"

"Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto."

"Calgary, please."

"Alright, could I have your credit card number and details, please?"

"Sure, my name is Stephanie Plum …. "

"Hi, I need a cab to the airport in 2 hours."

"Sure, madam. What's your name and address."

"My name is Stephanie Plum and I live…"

Five hours later I leaned back into my airplane seat. The plane was mostly filled with business men travelling back from business in the States or going to Canada for business. The seat next to me stayed empty, and I was glad. I could put my leg up. My ankle had started to hurt a little bit more, but I just had to do this now. I hoped that my friends and family would understand that.


	19. Chapter 19

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 19: Places to go, people to see**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: …**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them. Sorry it took so long to update, here's a short one!**

**Places to go, people to see**

It all went pretty quickly after I boarded the plane. I fell asleep soon after take off and when I woke up, we were ready to land. I hobbled off the plane and booked myself into the closest motel the cab driver could find. When I fell backwards onto the bed I felt strangely relieved and very relaxed. It felt like taking a holiday. Just some time for me. No Ranger, no Joe, no work. Just relaxation and fun.

"What did she say exactly?"

"I told you."

"And that was all she said?"

"Yes."

"And why is she doing it?"

"I don't know."

"I think you do."

"Morelli."

"Manoso…. She was doing fine until she returned to work and you showed up. So you explain to me why she has this urge to leave town suddenly. Because you can be sure this time it isn't because of me!" Morelli's voice was getting louder. A little crowd started to form. People still hoped it would come to a showdown between the 2 most eligible bachelors in town. When Steph made her choice for Morelli, people had lost hope, but now it seemed like all was possible again. And this would be the fight of the century, that was for certain.

Ranger had gone to the police station to ask Morelli about Steph's plans and whereabouts. But Morelli hadn't been able to answer a single question. In stead, he had started to ask him questions. Questions he couldn't answer. And now Morelli was loosing his patience, and his own was wearing thin as well. It was one of those few times when he actually considered letting things getting out of hand. It would give him the opportunity to let off steam. Mmm, on the other hand: they were in the police station, it wouldn't look good to assault an officer here, would it?

"Look Manoso, I'm obviously not the man with the problem here." He had a smirk on his face and the insult didn't go past me unnoticed. I could feel my blood pressure going up a notch. I had the feeling that he wasn't telling me all he knew, which would mean that she actually confided in him before she left. It seemed she confided in everybody except me. And from what I understood from Tank, she was serious about me not coming after her. I knew I could track her down if I wanted to, or have someone doing it for me. But I also knew Stephanie. She had a knack for knowing when someone was following her and she would always do the unexpected. I could sent in my best men, or go myself, and still be found out because she simply would do something so unexpected that you couldn't prepare for that. And the price she set on it, to loose her friendship and respect, was too high for me to be willing to pay…. For now anyway. I knew if she would stay away too long without contacting me, I would get very worried, and might try to find out a few things. Morelli's voice got me out of my thoughts.

" She didn't tell **_me_** not to follow her." A few cops smirked and Morelli looked positively angelic at me. I couldn't help but respond.

"Yeah, well, that's a first." Morelli's response was lightning fast and the fist connected with my jaw before I could do anything about it. A lot of things happened all at once then: all the cops drew guns and pointed them at me, my fist went up in the air to strike back, and stayed there when confronted with the guns and behind me I heard a familiar voice. Tank.

"Ricardo." I took a deep breath, shot one last look at the cops and walked backwards out of the police station. On the parking lot, Tank started.

"And what the hell was that about?"

"Fuck off."

He laughed at me and slapped my back.

"Glad I could help, bro. "

By the time we drove into the parking garage at Haywood I had cooled off enough to smile at him.

"Thanks."

"Anytime."


	20. Chapter 20

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 20: Dear diary**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Steph starts a diary to get her life back in order.**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them. More to come soon. **

**Dear diary**

My pencil was hovering above the paper. How to write it what I wanted to say? Maybe this diary thing wasn't such a good idea after all… Oh, come on Steph, I said to myself, you can do this, it'll be great fun! I took a deep breath and put my pen on the paper.

_Dear diary,_

_It's been ages since I wrote a diary, so please forgive me for any rambling on my part. I am starting this diary to get my life back in order. Although, thinking about it, that might be impossible. My life has been a mess since day one, and frankly I like it that way. It is just that recently I seem to have lost control over it, and that bothers me a little bit. Let me tell you something about myself. (and yes, I do know that you are not a real person, but it feels good and since nobody reads this anyway, who cares!) After an interesting childhood in which I learned that I couldn't fly (yet) and a very short ill-chosen marriage to a pig with (no longer existent) political aspirations I started working as a bounty hunter. Okay, I'm skipping some parts here, but who cares. That's when I had 2 interesting and sexy men in my life. I married one of them, found out it wasn't what I wanted and we are divorced now. Then sexy and interesting man 2 comes back into my life and stirs things up. So I had to take a break. Any excuse for a little time off, really. So here I am, in Canada. I have rented a car and took off. After 3 hours of driving I found this little diner with shop and it sold diaries and on impulse I bought one. And now I am sitting here, coffee and donut in front of me and a lovely view over a lake writing down my first words. I feel quite good actually. I know that Ranger won't come after me and Joe knows roughly where I am and said he thought it was a really good idea for to go away for a while. He is a lovely man, but just not the one for me I suppose. We have been really happy together, but we both moved into different directions. Now we were friends with a lot of memories. Well, there you have it, that is a very short intro to my life. I will save you all the weird stories about my working life, you wouldn't believe them even if I told them. Till the next time!_

_Dear diary,_

_It's been 5 days since my last entry and I have a lot to tell you. I have traveled hundreds of miles since then and met some really nice people. I can't be sure where I am actually, but the people are really nice. I am now staying on a farm. The farm belongs to Burt and Jenny, two of the nicest people you'll ever meet. We met in the supermarket actually and we started talking and then they invited me to their place. So I followed their car and we went to this fabulous house surrounded by fields. They have cows and horses and also lots of apple trees and other fruit. In the end they said I could stay and we made a deal: I will help them with harvesting the fruit while they feed me and give me a place to sleep. Today was my second day harvesting and I feel really tired but happy. Jenny and I work together while Burt looks after the cows during the day. In the evening we all sit together on the veranda enjoying the lovely evenings we get here. Doing this simple and straight forward work helps me relaxing. I feel nice and tired at the end of the days and we are making good progress with the apple trees. Lot's of more fruit after that, though! And Jenny said she'll show me how to cook with the apples: fresh apple sauce, apple pie and so on. I'm actually looking forward to it. Imagine that! _

_Both Ranger and Joe have never left my mind. Both were present at important moments in my life. Both are very important to me. I love them both, but now quite in the same way though. I loved Joe like a wife loves her husband. I loved Ranger like crazy, but it was never as deep as Joe. Ranger never shared enough to go that deep. I did love him more than a friend at one time in my life, but he backed out and sent me back to Joe. And I was more and more starting to wonder what would happen if Ranger would start sharing equally. Could I really love him like a wife loves a husband….?_

_Dear diary,_

_Man oh man is it hard work on a farm or what! I'm absolutely broken, but feel very satisfied with myself. There is no apple in sight anymore, we picked them all! Most of the apples are sold on the local market in town and some Jenny keeps to make some wonderful things with. I made some apple sauce myself the other day, and it is really easy! I didn't burn anything, so I felt good about that. Burt and Jenny asked me if I was interested in staying the rest of the summer, to help them. They even will pay me a small salary. I thought about it, and today I have said that I will. I always thought that this trip would be me traveling everywhere, finding little places and so on. But it turns out I found my destiny within my first week. It is nice, quiet and filled with lovely people. The work is good for me. My mind is at peace now. I know what I want to do. I will stay here for the summer, enjoy the farm and some hard work. (okay, I don't say I'll enjoy that last bit, but it is satisfying to do) Then I'll return to Trenton. I realized that I loved to find out if Ranger and I would be capable of making it work, but this time I will have a few conditions… He better be ready for the new me! I feel like a weight was lifted off my shoulders when I made my decision. Now I can enjoy the rest of my stay here (probably about another 6 weeks) and then leisurely drive back to Trenton. I did decide that I would drive back, to have the feeling that I did make something of a road trip after all. _

_Dear diary,_

_Cows are funny creatures. That's really all I want to say about it. No really… Okay, I'll tell the whole story. Jenny and Burt have this 1 cow that they sort of see as a pet. It is not used for production, but they milk it (or her, as I should say) everyday for their own use. And today Jenny said she would teach me how to milk her. (her name is Spot 3… ) So she gave me this little chair and the bucket and she got Spot and me in position. It wasn't as easy as I thought, and I have to say that I was glad that I wasn't Spot. The poor girl. I pulled and squeezed and everything before I got some milk out of her. Imagine someone trying that to do to women… Okay, let's not go there. But anyway, Spot was really nice to me and didn't move a muscle. After some adjustments and practicing I finally got it right and got a whole bucket full of milk. I felt really proud of myself and got up from the stool. And that was when Spot had her revenge. With one move she kicked the bucket, which fell over and all the milk was on the ground. Then she turned her head and looked at me. I swear she was laughing and thinking: that's what you get for all that pulling and squeezing! I must have looked really surprised and then angry, because Jenny was laughing her head off. Then she dryly added: before I forget: always take the bucket away immediately after you're done. They sometimes kick when you're finished. Well, no shit! I was so pissed that I vowed I would do it again tomorrow, and do it right! Stupid Spot…_


	21. Chapter 21

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 21: Meanwhile in Trenton**… **Ranger**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Let's not forget about the others!**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them. More to come soon. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Meanwhile in Trenton**… **Ranger**

I opened the door to my apartment and against my usual calm self I kicked it closed while throwing my keys in the dish. I hated these types of days. They were long, unproductive and tiring. Normally I would have made sure to 'accidentally' meet up with Stephanie on a day like this, but that wasn't possible right now, since she was still on her trip. And that trip seemed to be quite an extended one. I had tried to covertly get some information, but all it got me was a plane ticket to Canada, a rental car and a one night motel stay. Then all trails stopped. Or at least the ones I could pursue without her finding out. So I had no idea where she was, or what she was doing. I did confess that I had made it a habit to scan for strange newspaper articles from Canada and the border region, but so far nothing had turned up. I was restless, I felt the need to search for her, to make sure she was alright. But she had made it perfectly clear that there would be consequences. Consequences I didn't want to happen. So I was restricted in what I could or couldn't do. And that only added to my current frame of mind. This morning I had started early, with a run at 5 am in stead of 6 am because my work started at 6 today.

6 am: meeting about a redecorating job

7 am: redecorating a 'lovely' apartment filled with junk and junkies

8 am: back in the office, checking mail

9 am: meeting with a new client

10 am: new client accepted, but almost had to have her removed from the property for indecent behaviour, her hands were everywhere when she had the chance

10.12 am: emergency call from Ram. Capture of FTA went bad. Hal got stun gunned (again!) but everybody is okay.

11 am: meeting with lawyer and business manager about the strategy for Rangemen.

12 am: lunch! Finally, halfway through the day. Those meetings aren't a favourite part of business.

1 pm: paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. This own business thing is great but the paperwork is something I hate

2.14 pm: Yes, a call for my assistance, a break from paperwork

3.02 pm: huge problems at one of our customers. It is a jewellery store they tried to rob. Nobody injured, but they did manage to take a few very valuable items and they were very violent towards the people in the store. Arranged everything at the scene, gave the tapes to the cops and started looking for the robbers.

5 pm: quick bite to eat and then off with Tank for surveillance. FTA should get home around 5.30 pm, so we hope to catch him then.

10 pm: FTA didn't show and I'm tired. We didn't catch the robbers yet, we only had 1 capture today and it just didn't feel as a good day. I missed Steph. I decided to end this day.

"Don't think he's coming anymore." Tank sighed.

"No, don't think so. Where did we get that info from?" I almost felt guilty.

"Informant." Tank wasn't fooled.

"Whose informant?" Damn.

"Mine." I could feel Tank looking at me and smiling a little.

"You can take that smile of your face." This made him laugh.

"Oh, come on, Ranger." I had to smile too. This didn't happen often to me. My informants knew they better give me good info or they had a problem. I paid good money for those tips, it was an integral part of being successful in this kind of work. Looking at the time I was surprised I had waited so long anyway. I could have known around 7pm or 8pm that he wasn't going to show. My mind must have been elsewhere.

"Heard anything from Steph yet?" Tank doesn't know the word subtle.

"No." Tank nodded in understanding.

"She'll be back one day." That's easy for you to say.

"Yeah."

When we came to the building I was feeling tired, but knew I couldn't sleep for another hour or two, I had too much on my mind.

"I'm going to the gym for an hour or so. See you tomorrow." Tank would crash in one of the apartments on the 4th floor tonight. He had a house of his own, but it was about 30 minute drive away. When we worked late, he preferred to stay in an apartment and we would run together at 6 tomorrow morning.

"Need a sparring partner?" Dangerous proposition. I wasn't sharp tonight, but knew that a good work out with Tank would let me blow off enough steam to fall asleep when I got to the apartment.

"Sure."

After 75 minutes we called it quits. We had warmed up together and after a few rounds with weights we went into the boxing ring. There we had proceeded to knock the hell out of each other (guess Tank didn't like waiting for 5 hours for an FTA that didn't show either) but due to the protective clear we didn't have a mark on us. Well, a bit of bruising probably, but nothing that would prevent us from doing our job. I was feeling good and finally a bit relaxed when I went to my phone and saw I had a message. It was Morelli.

"Hi, it's Morelli. Listen, eh, Steph asked me to tell you that she is doing well. (silence) Well, that's it. Bye." And back was my pissy mood…


	22. Chapter 22

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 22: Meanwhile in Trenton**… **Tank**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Let's not forget about the others!**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them. Next update in September after my holiday.**

**Meanwhile in Trenton**… **Tank**

I have to say that on occasion I do enjoy seeing Ranger squirm a little. This guy didn't have an easy life when he was younger, but since he went into the army, it only improved. Okay, his life couldn't go anywhere but up, but he made the most of it. And he always looked good, attracting girls from his early teenage years, and since he added the muscle in the army, he never had to look around for a woman. They were simply always there. And he liked it just fine until he met Stephanie. For the first time in his life he met a woman that he wanted, and she didn't respond to him as the other women did. She actually started a relationship with another guy after she met him, and that made her even more intriguing. He was absolutely crushed when she chose Morelli, even though we all understood her choice. But now that she was available again, he was very eager to make it work this time. But she wasn't going to make this easy for him. Hey, I was all for that. I knew that eventually they would end up together, the attraction was so high it was impossible to ignore, and right now, both of them were getting ready for this kind of relationship. But I was looking forward to the next couple of months. Steph was the right person to make Ricardo squirm, for the last time in his life probably. And the way she had made sure he wouldn't come after her was a way that only she could do. Smart girl. I liked her.

But I had a woman in my life now that could make me squirm. You see, even though I know I look good, I'm big. And that has scared a lot of women off. And of course, walking in a room next to Ricardo makes you practically invisible. But Lula is different. Probably her life story taught her not to judge a book by its cover and what is valuable in life. It had taken a while for us to get together, but now that we were, we spend all our free time together. It wasn't easy to juggle a job and a relationship for both of us, but we were trying and having lots of fun with it. Tonight would be no difference. After the sparring session with Ranger I didn't actually go to the 4th floor apartment, but left the building and went to Lula's place. I knew she would be out until at least 11pm, so I hoped that she was home now and we could spend some hours together before we would catch a couple of hours of sleep. I would stay at her apartment and come back real early for the 6 am run with Ranger. I parked the car and grabbed my phone and bag which contained some clothes and walked over to her building. I decided to call her first, see how she responded.

"Hello?"

"Hey there."

"Tank, my man!"

"How are you?"

"Good, the evening out with the girls was great."

"You're home?"

"Yeah, just got in. Where are you?"

"Right outside your door."

"No way!"

"Way!" I laughed when I heard her scrambling of her couch and running towards the door. She swung it open, phone still in her hand.

"You're here!" and then she jumped me. I easily caught her and while we were kissing I carried her over the doorstep and closed the door behind us. It took minutes for us to come up for air.

"I didn't think you'd come tonight."  
"No, but the evening didn't go as planned, so I decided to stay in Trenton and see you."

"So what's up?"

"Ranger and I just spend 5 hours waiting on an FTA that didn't show."

"Wow, Batman got bad intel?"

"No, Batman is distracted."

"He still thinking about Stephanie?"

"Yeah."

"Actually, I got a card from Steph." She walked over to the table and stepped in front of me.

"Promise me you won't tell Ranger?" This was a hard one, since Ranger would be thoroughly pissed if he ever found out that I kept this from him. But Stephanie was Lula's friend, and she trusted her.

"Promised." Lula handed me the card and I looked at it. Canada it was then. On the back it had a small story.

_Dear Lula,_

_How's life? You and Tank still together? I'm working my ass off here on a farm, but it has been great fun. Don't tell anybody, but I'll be back in about 1 month. Can't wait to see all of you again. Take care!_

_Steph_.

So she was at a farm. That was why Ranger was so antsy. He wouldn't be able to get any kind of information if she was somewhere in Canada working on a farm. No credit card necessary there, no registration, no nothing. That woman is better than she knows herself. I chuckled. Another month. Ranger would be almost ready to send out the search party by then.

"What?" Lula asked.

"It will be hard to keep this from Ranger. He is really getting desperate."

"He is?" Lula had to laugh too.

"Yeah. I just spend over an hour in the gym so he could get tired enough to sleep tonight."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he hit me a few times pretty good." I was shooting for some sympathy.

"Aw, you poor guy." I tried to look really beaten.

"I know just the thing for you, big guy." She pulled me towards the bedroom where we spend the next couple of hours making slow and delicious love.

Afterwards, we were laying together in Lula's bed.

"Mmmm, that was delicious Lula."

"Feel better now, big guy?"

"Yes. Much better."

"So what time do you have to leave tomorrow morning?"

"At 5.30 am."

"Jeez, you need to get a life."

"Hey, I've got you!"

"Yeah, you do." And we kissed some more.

"What are you going to do at 5.30 anyway?"

"I'm going running with Ranger."

"Now there's a guy that needs a life."

"Yeah, let's hope Stephanie really comes back in a month."


	23. Chapter 23

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 23: Life's little facts.**  
**Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): G  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Update on Steph, Morelli and Ranger.**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Life's little facts**

I looked over the fields at the grazing cows. It was early September and the leaves were starting to get a hint of brown, red and yellow. We had had a wonderful summer, but the last week, the air had begun to cool down in the evening, and we had had some heavy rain. Today however, had been a wonderful sunny day and we had spent most of it outside. Jenny and I had worked in the garden, getting it ready for the winter. During the past few weeks we had started talking about more personal things, and Jenny was now completely up to date with my current situation in life. She hadn't judged me in any way, and had laughed at the stories from my bounty hunting years. She had listened quietly when I told her about the reason my marriage had failed and had nodded understandingly when I had told her how I had ended up in Canada. Today we had had a long conversation about what would happen when I went back. This week would be my last week at the farm, and then I would start the drive back from Canada to Trenton which would take me another week probably.

"What would you like to happen, Steph?" She looked at me intently.

"Mmm, I would like to settle into my new life first, and then I would like to see if Ranger and I would be able to have a relationship."

"So is there any reason why that couldn't happen?" I thought about that. I could think of 1000 reasons why it wouldn't go according to plan, but on the other hand it would still involve me also allowing other people to change my plans.

"Well, my life never was exactly standard."

"No, and you have had many wonderful adventures because of that." I nodded and thought that that was a nice way of looking at my mostly successful attempts to catch skips.

"But when you got married, you slowly allowed Joe to make your choices, even if you weren't happy with them. And that gave you a feeling of being lost and unhappy." I nodded again, a little more thoughtful this time. Jenny was right, though.

"Did you ever have that feeling when you were still catching skips and not involved with Joe?"

"No…" Where was Jenny going with this?

"Was your life more predictable then?"

"No…"

"But you still made your own choices then."

"Uh… yes."

"You see, you don't need predictability to still be able to make your own choices. But that takes courage and strength. And you've got both in spades. Just don't be afraid to use them!"

I was cleaning up some leaves while I thought about Jenny's comments. It was true. Before I got involved with Joe my life had been pretty interesting and absolutely not standard. I made the papers on a regular basis, my cars seemed to go out of their way to catch fire and blow up. But despite that, I was happy with my life. I chose when I would do something and how I would do it. Hell, I was even able to resist Ranger and we all know that that takes strength and courage! I had made the decision to choose Joe and had not regretted it, until I had allowed Joe to make choices for me and had started to feel unhappy about my life. And in the end I had then made the choice to end the marriage and from that moment on I had started to feel happier again. I was still very sad that the marriage had ended, but I had started to make my own choices again and that had made me feel more at peace with myself again. Jenny was right: I knew what I wanted and should just go for it. It wouldn't be easy to make sure that I kept making my own choices, but I had to. If I wanted something, I would go for it. If I didn't want something, I would not go for it. I wanted to try a relationship with Ranger, but not under all circumstances. I could understand him when he said that he couldn't tell me everything that went on in his life, but there is a minimum amount of sharing necessary to make a relationship work. If he couldn't do that, I couldn't do a relationship. Wow, I even surprised myself with this insight. I looked up to see Jenny looking at me intently. I smiled at her and she smiled back to me.

"You'll get there, Stephanie. Give yourself the time and be true to yourself and you'll get there."

"Yes, I think I will." I nodded to myself one last time and then continued raking the leaves together with a delicious light feeling in my head. Happiness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Morelli, in my office."

"Sir." I got up and walked towards the office of Juniak. Wondered what it was this time. I hadn't done anything that could have made him angry lately. I quickly scanned my memory. Nope, I had been pretty successful with my cases lately, arresting two wanted criminals in the last 2 weeks. Still, Juniak hadn't sounded like he wanted to pay me a compliment. Big Dog and Carl looked at me curiously, and I just shrugged my shoulders. They didn't know what this was about either. I went inside the office and closed the door behind me. There was another person in the office with him. She was currently looking outside the window. I was curious, I didn't think I had seen her before, so I still had no idea what this was about.

"Please meet agent Fresco from the FBI." At his words she turned around and I looked into deep light green eyes. Wow!

"Pleased to meet you, detective," she said in a soft voice while giving me a small smile. We shook hands and I didn't know what to say. She had straight deep brown hair which was currently tight in a bun at the back of her head. Her skin was olive tanned and even. Her eyes had sparks in them and she had lush full lips. She was wearing a short navy blue skirt that had a small split on the right side, a white top and a navy blue jacket. I wondered what kind of gun she had.

"Agent Fresco would like to discuss a case with you," Juniak said.

"Which one?" I asked. I was working on several right now, but I couldn't think of one that could interest the FBI. Agent Fresco smiled at me again. She had wonderful even teeth.

"A new one, detective Morelli."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Carlos, I've got Ms. White on the phone for you." I could hear the smile in Tank's voice.

Ms. White was a new client that had a very successful business but also had very wandering hands. I had discovered that recently when she had come in to sign the contract. She was a beautiful woman, very sophisticated and very rich. And she liked men. From what I had found out she wasn't looking for long lasting relationships, but for a lot of fun. Couldn't blame her for the way she looked at life, but still. She had called the office one day to ask for a meeting to discuss security possibilities for her business, so I had gone there together with my business manager John. We had sat down around a small round table with her next to John. She was a tough negotiator but it was a good contract. John had started squirming after about 10 minutes and had looked very happy when it was time to leave again. I had asked John what was wrong on the way to the car and he had told me that her feet had not been in her shoes, but everywhere else. I had laughed at him and said that he must have imagined that, it probably had been an innocent misunderstanding. But when she came in to sign the contract it had taken less than 2 minutes before I could feel her foot tracing up my leg. I had tried to shift away from her, but found out that she had had very athletic feet. The 15 minutes it had taken to sign the contract had seemed like an hour. And when we stood in the elevator together after the signing of the contract she had placed her hand on my ass and said in a very low voice:

"Looking forward to working with your company, Carlos." I was so surprised about this direct approach that it had shown on my face and I hadn't known how to respond. I felt like a teenager all over again. I was about to step away from her when the elevator doors had opened and with one last squeeze and sexy smile she had exited. I had needed a moment to calm down and then suddenly realised the camera in the elevator. Shit! But before I had made it back into the comm. room John had put the video from the elevator on the big screens there and they were all laughing their assess off.

"Still thinking I misunderstood her foot, Carlos?" he asked me while he exited the room with a satisfied smile on his face. Everybody had wiped the smiles of their face except for Tank. Somebody had been smart enough to stop the tape and the screens were showing the normal camera feed again. I had glared at Tank and then turned to go to my office. There is not much you can say after an incident like that. We had sent 2 people to her office to install the security cameras and other gadgets. There had been many volunteers for that job, but I had made it clear that under no circumstances were they allowed to initiate or respond to any of her advances during work time. It would take them 2 days and Tank and I paid regular visits to check up on them. By lunch on the first day they were ready to leave. I told them they had volunteered for this job and they should take it like a man, but had asked Ms. White to stop harassing my men while they were at work. She had smiled a small smile and said:

"Pity, they were fun to play with. Maybe after work then, huh?" She was testing me. I tried to look intimidating at her, but she smiled at me and said:

"You look sexy when you're angry."

"Just let them do their jobs in peace." I turned and walked to my car. Behind the tinted windows I ran a hand through my hair. Men used to break out in sweat and woman used to run away when I looked at them like that, and she just smiles and says it's sexy. Right. Since then there had been 1 incident to which Rangeman had to respond. The incident was real, but the men had returned looking hot and bothered anyway. I wondered what today's call was about.

"Tell her I'm out of the office."

"No can do."

"Why?"

"Reception already said you were in." Damn.

"Fine, put her on."

"How can I help you, Ms. White?"

"Please, call me Alexandra." She had tried this before, but I wasn't about to get on a first name basis with her. She was a client. I decided to ignore her request.

"How can I help you?"

"I'm very satisfied with Rangeman's services so far." I almost snorted at that. She probably meant 'Rangeman's employees'.

"Thank you."

"So I would like to hire Rangeman to secure my house as well."

"I'm pleased to hear that." I'm a business man and this meant business.

"So I would like to make an appointment with you to go over the possibilities." It hadn't escaped my attention that she had said 'you' in stead of Rangeman.

"Let me put you through to Marketing. They can make the appointment and give you all the information you want."

"Well, I was hoping you could come, since you handled my account before and are aware of my eh… situation." She had me there. Her business was a very discrete and elite escort club. She provided highly educated and beautiful women to men who wanted a companion for a business dinner or other formal occasion. We had double checked her business and it came back clean. Not once had it been investigated for anything. She had assured me that sex was absolutely not a part of the job and I was inclined to believe her. She had a reputation to uphold and getting investigated doesn't do much for your business. However, some of her customers seemed to think that the 'no sex' policy only existed on paper. There had been problems with customers in the past, who had threatened her and the women that worked for her and one had become physically violent. That was the reason why she had hired Rangeman and why she didn't want people to know where she lived. And I could relate to that. With an internal sigh, I gave in and looked at my diary. Next week I had some time. But I wasn't going alone.

"Okay. Do you have time next week Tuesday at 9 am?"

"For you, always," she purred in my ear and told me the address. I felt myself shiver. That wasn't too far away from where I had a house. She'd better not find out about that.

"Okay, Tuesday 9 am it is."

"Looking forward to it, Carlos." Now what do you say to something like that.

"Have a nice day, Ms. White." She chuckled at my response.

"You too, Mr. Manoso," she said, laughing softly. I put the phone down and rubbed my face with my hands. Then an idea popped into my head. Tank still had payback waiting for laughing at me openly in front of my men. I grabbed the phone and called his number.

"Go."

"Next Tuesday, 9 am." See how long it took him to understand. He remained silent for a while, thinking.

"Doing what exactly?" he asked carefully.

"Your time to meet the infamous Ms. White."

"Oh man!"

"You shouldn't have laughed at the elevator tape… man." And I ended the conversation. I'll let him think he has to go alone. That'll teach him. Thinking about the issue I realised that this wouldn't have been such a problem if I had a few women working here. Mmm, interesting thought. Maybe I should ask Jeanne Ellen to go next time. Mmm, maybe not. She didn't work for Rangeman and she was expensive and come to think about it, in the end she wanted the same as Ms. White did: me. I leaned back into my chair and folded my hands behind my head. I realised that 5 years ago I wouldn't have hesitated to sleep with Ms. White. She was a professional woman, obviously not looking for a relationship, so ideal for a man in my situation. But now, I had other things on my mind. Or more particularly, one other woman: Stephanie. She has been gone for 7 weeks, 2 days, 12 hours and 47 minutes. But who's counting? And I had no idea where she was. I secretly admired her for being able to disappear with so little traces, but it made me restless. Every day I was coming closer to giving out the order to someone to start searching for her. There had been nights that I had woken up from nightmares in which she had never returned, or worse, had died during her trip and I hadn't been able to protect her or to be there for her. I checked her apartment regularly for any clues but so far, nothing had turned up. I sighed and checked the clock. 5.24 pm. I needed a break from work and decided to drive over to her apartment. I would come back to the office later to work tonight, because there was a lot of work currently. I called Tank that I was leaving and got in my car and left the building. The drive took a bit longer due to traffic, but that didn't bother me tonight. I needed the time to put my thoughts in order. I parked, got out and opened her mailbox. Several items had arrived since my last visit and I took them out and upstairs. I let myself in and looked around. Nothing had changed since the last time I was here. I quickly went through her mail. Bills, advertisements and a postcard. On the front was a picture of a few green hills in autumn setting. Could be anywhere. Curious, I turned the postcard around to see who sent it. The postmark wasn't clear, so I couldn't see where it had been sent from. The stamps were Canadian. Wait, Canada. Steph had bought a ticket to Canada. I looked at the handwriting and my heart skipped a few beats. That was Steph's handwriting. Slowly I read the address: To R.C. Manoso. She had sent a postcard to me, using her own address, clearly knowing that I would go through her mail. I felt caught. She knew me better than I thought. I took a deep breath and moved my eyes to read what she had written.

_Ranger,_

_I need this time away. Please remember what I said and don't try to find me. _

_Steph._

It took a while before the pain in my hand registered. Then I saw the blood on her wall and realised it must have been from my fist connecting with it.


	24. Chapter 24

**Dear everybody,**

**I've returned from Africa and started writing again. The story is almost finished, at least on my computer J. So here are 6 chapters in one go, to bring you up to speed again. Once I've finished it, I'll put it all in one nice document. Warning for the chapters ahead: they get emotional and intense. **

**Hope you enjoy! Reviews welcome.**

**Ann.**

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 24: Right or wrong… or left  
Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): Some language and adult themes in the next few chapters!  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT. **  
**Summary: Right handed Ranger feels 'left' out because of his hand injury. **  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Right or wrong… or left**

I looked at my watch. It was past 9 pm, time to go home for today. With a sigh I put the last folder on my 'out' stash. Tomorrow I would give the files to the right people for further processing, but all the office workers had gone home for the day. The night crew was watching the monitors in the control centre. Apart from that, the office was quiet. I still wasn't a big fan of paperwork, but I knew that, as a senior staff member, it was part of my duties. I get a nice salary and a hefty bonus normally for my extra hours, so it wasn't all for nothing. Besides, it did give me a good idea of what went on in the business. However, now that me and Lula were together, I had built up a slight backlog of paperwork, so this week I would stay late a few evenings to catch up. I got up and stretched my muscles. I'm not made for sitting behind a desk for hours on end. I shut down my computer, got my gun and phone and locked my office. I was only mildly surprised to see a small line of light coming from Ranger's office. He had left the office around 5.30 this afternoon and had returned about an hour later in a vile mood. I had tried to find out where Ranger had been, but he had turned off the GPS tracker after he left the office. Still, to me that was just as much information as when the tracker had been on. Ranger hardly ever switched his tracker off, it was only to go home or when a woman was involved. And since he hadn't gone home and there was only one woman in his life currently, or at least occupying his mind right now, I knew that Ranger probably went to Stephanie's apartment. I don't think that Ranger knew that I was aware of his little visits to Stephanie's place. I can see why Ranger would do it. Being in love myself now, I understood the need to feel close to someone, even if that person wasn't there physically. But something must have happened, because he had been barking at everybody who came within a 10 feet radius when he came back. It hadn't taken long before everybody had made sure to get out of his way and after 10 minutes of shouting he had left the control room and slammed the door of his office and I hadn't seen him since. I don't think Ranger had eaten dinner yet, so I decided to find out what was going on.

I knocked on the door and after an affirmative noise on the other side, I opened the door. Best not to barge right in, when he was in one of his moods. You never knew if you would make it out alive. Ranger was sitting behind his desk, his laptop plugged into the network and files laying across his desk. His eyes still showed that his mood hadn't improved much since this afternoon.

"I'm going home," I said, testing the waters of Rangers mood with this fairly neutral announcement.

"Good for you." Wow, clearly still pissed off.

"What's your problem?" See how he responded to a more direct challenge.

"Excuse me?" Ranger slowly looked up from his work and his eyes were giving me a warning not to take this any further. Tough.

"What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing." And to prove it, he started typing on his computer again, but with only his left hand. Odd. I couldn't see his right hand, he had it under the desk.

"What's with the one handed typing?" Ranger looked at me again, trying to scare me off. Well, I've got news for you, I don't get scared easily. I looked straight back at him, and in the end he was the one who broke eye contact. I knew that I had won, it was all a matter of extracting the information now. I walked closer to his desk. It had to be related to the one handed typing. Ranger hated paperwork just as much as I did, so he learned to type really fast to speed things up. If he injured his hand, his right hand above all, he would be pissed because it would slow him down in everything he did. I had reached his desk, and Ranger stopped typing, but didn't look at me.

"Why aren't you using your right hand, man?" Ranger closed his eyes for a moment and then slowly put his right hand on the desk. I whistled softly between my teeth. All the knuckles were swollen and looked very bruised. Two knuckles had open wounds on them.

"How did that happen?" I couldn't keep the surprise out of my voice. I was convinced he went to Stephanie's apartment, but that didn't explain his injury.

"Accident." Yeah right. This from a man who has cat like reflexes.

"Accident with what?"

"Accident with a wall." Ah, I understood now. He probably had been frustrated about something related to Stephanie and somehow his fist had connected with a wall, resulting in this injury.

"Some accident." He actually gave a short bark of cynical laughter.

"You've been to see Bobby yet?"

"No, I don't think something's broken." Mmm.

"Maybe you want to let Bobby decide that."

"Maybe I don't." I almost laughed at that. Ranger was sulking! I had done something similar myself once. I had been pissed off because of a letter that I had received and had wildly swung my fist around and it had connected with the corner of a kitchen counter. It had been very painful and it had taken 2 weeks before it was fully healed. At that moment it had seemed like a reasonable reaction, but when telling the story to friends they just looked back with a slightly blank face, asking 'but why did you hit the counter, just hit the couch.' When you have the training that Ranger and I did, your responses can become more automatic sometimes. In combat you didn't think, you acted or you died. But try explaining that to the outside world. You just end up feeling foolish. Guess Ranger was experiencing one of those moments.

"Go home, Tank." Ranger was not in a talkative mood.

"And you?"

"I've got work to do." Yeah, and by the looks of it, it would be a long night for him, typing with one hand.

"Okay, see you tomorrow." There was no reply. I turned around and walked out of the office. If the hand looked just as bad tomorrow, I would tell Bobby. But right now Ranger clearly wanted to be left alone.

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Morelli dropped on the couch. Home at last! Bob jumped on the couch with him, and put his head on his leg. He gave Bob's head a quick ruffle, thinking about the events of the past few days. The Fed's, or more precisely agent Fresco, had asked him if he was interested in working a big case. They were investigating a large drug cartel and it turned out that there also were some links with Trenton. She asked him to head the Trenton team, with her as his contact for the FBI. The case was big, he had understood that much from her short description of what they had found so far. It would be a big career thing for him if he did this right, not to mention he would get to work with agent Fresco. She had been on his mind a lot lately, he admitted he felt attracted to her. He had never thought that that would have been possible, so soon after his marriage had ended, but there it was. He guessed her about the same age as he was, maybe a few years younger. She was eager and intelligent, and that usually gave good results in investigations. But it would mean working long days for the next couple of months. That wasn't really a problem. He needed time to adjust to his new situation, and a complicated case would help him to take his mind of things. Besides, working with agent Fresco would be really nice as well. He knew he would call her first thing tomorrow to let her know that he had read the file and would like to lead the Trenton investigation.

"Come on, Bob. Time for a walk." He pushed Bob of the couch and got up again himself. He got Bob's leash and clipped it on Bob's collar. After the walk he would take a quick shower and then crash. It would be early tomorrow and he had something to look forward to. Yeah, life was looking good again!

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Ranger turned in his bed for the umpteenth time. He couldn't get comfortable. His right hand was throbbing and he couldn't find a good position to lay in. His mind was still filled with thoughts about Stephanie and Rangeman. He had worked until a little past 2 am and then went up to his apartment. After a quick shower he had expected he would have no trouble sleeping, but his hand had kept him awake and then the thoughts had started flying around and he knew he couldn't get to sleep anymore. He had tried for a while, but it was after 4 am now. He gave in and got up, walking to the kitchen. He grabbed a glass and almost dropped it. Shit, he had almost no grip with his right hand. He grabbed the glass again, this time with his left hand, and put it in the sink. He opened the tap with his left hand and when the glass was full, he closed it before taking the glass out of the sink again. This hand injury was a big pain in the ass. He was right handed, and he couldn't even hold a pen right now. His whole right hand was swollen and stiff from the impact. It had been a stupid thing to do, but it had happened on impulse. Still, it meant he couldn't do takedown work for a few days and that affected his business. He had acted unprofessional, even if it was about something personal, and he hated that. He grabbed an icepack from the fridge and slowly placed it on his hand. The coldness of the icepack gave a very painful feeling, but he knew from experience that it would take a couple of minutes before the coolness would numb his hand a bit. He found some tape and taped the icepack to his hand and went back to bed. Maybe Tank had been right and he should let Bobby take a look at it.

His alarm went off too soon. He realised that he had maybe gotten about 1 hour of sleep. For a moment he contemplated not going running this morning, but the cool morning air and the exercise would help him to wake up. He rolled out of bed and carefully removed the icepack and tape from his hand. He tried to move his hand, but that resulted in a lot of pain shooting through his fingers and wrist. Shit, shit shit! He went to his closet and pulled out a black t-shirt and sweat pants. The t-shirt was easy to put on, but the pants were already more difficult, using only 1 hand. Socks were harder and by the time he was trying to tie his shoes he was ready to scream. Tying a knot with only his right hand was already very difficult, but with only his left was almost impossible. But he had no shoes without laces that he could use for running, so he struggled on. In the bathroom, the next challenge presented itself: brushing his teeth with his left hand. Twice he made the wrong move and tasted blood from his gums. He was getting irritated and that didn't do him any good. He took a deep breath to calm himself and finished brushing. He walked to his door, noticing that his shoes felt different because he hadn't been able to tighten the laces. Mmm, he'd better not break an ankle. He greeted the 2 guys at reception and left the building.

It took him longer than usual to find his pace. Lack of sleep, no focus and the pain in his hand all contributed to that. So when he came back after about an hour he felt tired and irritated in stead of ready and clear minded. Great. He went up to his apartment and kicked off his shoes and clothes. Maybe a warm shower would help, but even drying off was difficult with one hand and now he was struggling with the button of his pants. He put on his usual black outfit, but when he was putting on socks, he realised that he wasn't able to tie the shoes that went with that outfit. He was contemplating changing but decided that he sure as hell wouldn't wear a suit with a button down shirt or change and struggle with everything again, so he would have to find a solution to the shoe problem, when Ella knocked on the door and came in with breakfast.

"Good morning, Ranger." She looked surprised at him, and he realised he still didn't have a t-shirt on and was on his socks.

"Good morning, Ella." She placed the tray on the kitchen counter and observed him.

"Are you alright?" Women seemed to have a nose for knowing when something was wrong.

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Mmm, you look tired." Then her eyes zoomed in on his hand. Shit.

"What happened?" she asked, her eyes big.

"It's nothing, I hit something hard." She looked at him for a moment and then turned around and walked to the door. That was easy, guess she got used to the occasional injuries. Job hazard. Or she realised it was pointless to say something about it, it wouldn't change him. Ranger looked at the tray. He was hungry and then realised he couldn't cut anything. There were some pieces of fruit that he could eat with one hand, but he couldn't cut the bagels, nor could he put something on them. Great. Turns out eating granola with your left hand is pretty tricky too. His right hand and wrist were throbbing and he got some Tylenol from the bathroom. Ranger swallowed a couple. It would help with the pain, but he still had no power in his hand or wrist whatsoever. He looked at his feet. How to solve the shoe problem? He looked in his closet again, and spotted his old black trainers. He wasn't going to do a takedown anyway, so he didn't need his steel toed boots. He struggled with the laces and it took him 5 minutes before he had them on. Right, ready for work. More or less anyway.

He went into his office and looked at the information that had come in overnight. A few emails were quite interesting, and they kept him occupied for a few hours. After that he went into the control room. He had put on a long sleeved sweater to disguise the wrist and hand injury, but after his mood from yesterday, probably nobody was going to ask a question anyway. He was right. But Tank was there and he asked if he could speak with him in his office. When he followed Tank into his office, Tank closed the door behind him.

"So what really happened?" Tank asked. No need to tell Ranger that this was about the hand.

"I hit a wall." Tank gave him a look.

"How come?" Ranger knew he could trust Tank, but still. It felt stupid now.

"I was angry and didn't realise that the wall was there." For Tank this was enough of an explanation.

"Angry about what?" He looked straight at Ranger. Ranger was quiet for a moment, thinking of how to say this.

"Angry about a message I received."

"From Stephanie?" Tank pushed on. Ranger gave him a quick look. Just how much did Tank already know? After a moment he gave a quick nod.

"What did she say?"

"She didn't say anything, she wrote me a postcard."

"What did she write?" Tank probed.

"She warned me… not to start looking for her."

"Ah," Tank said softly and his eyes showed his understanding for the injury.

"So how's the hand?"

"Bad. I'm going to call Bobby in a minute, something's not right."

"You break anything?"

"Maybe."

"I'll ask Lester to help with the takedown tomorrow." Ranger just nodded.

Tank gave Ranger a slap on his left shoulder for sympathy and then walked towards the door of the office again. Ranger followed and went to his own office to call Bobby.

"Yo boss."

"Can you come into my office for a moment? Take a First Aid kit."

"What happened?"

"I hurt my hand."

"Okay."

Bobby walked in Rangers office 5 minutes later, carrying the kit with him.

"What's up, boss?" Ranger held up his right hand, and Bobby whistled softly.

"Let me see that hand," Bobby said.

"Wow, how did you do that?" The hand and wrist had turned purple and blue overnight.

"Accident with a wall," Ranger said dryly.

"Ah," Bobby said. He carefully took hold of Ranger's right arm and looked at the wrist and hand.

"How did you hit the wall?" Bobby asked. Ranger tried to make a fist with his right hand, but stopped that movement immediately and showed it with his left hand instead. It hadn't escaped Bobby's attention that Ranger couldn't move the right hand anymore.

"You hit the wall with a fist, in a straight angle?" Bobby asked. Ranger nodded.

"Mmm, you could have fractured the bones of your hand or even your wrist. Let's see. Can you stretch out your fingers?"

Ranger tried but it was very uncomfortable.

"Not completely," Ranger said.

"Okay. Can you make a fist?" Since Ranger already had tried that he just nodded 'no'.

"Right. Can I feel?" Ranger nodded. Bobby felt around, starting at Rangers' fingers and going up to his hand. He was about halfway on his hand when he touched something that had pain shooting up Rangers' arm. Instinctively he tried to withdraw his hand and Bobby let go.

"That's sensitive."

"Thought so." Then he started gently rotating the hand and wrist. After only a few centimetres, Ranger withdrew his hand with a sharp intake of his breath because of the pain.

"I'll drive you to hospital," was all that Bobby said. Ranger just nodded.

He was back 3 hours later, his arm in a sling and his wrist immobilized in a splint. After much prodding, feeling and x-rays, they had decided that he had cracked two bones in his hand and there was a fracture in his wrist. Due to the swelling they weren't able to give him a cast yet, so they had put on a splint and given him painkillers. He had to come back in 5 days for another x-ray and if it all looked okay they would put a cast on his hand and wrist, which he had to keep on for 4 to 6 weeks. He felt deflated. He was out of action for 5 weeks at least! He couldn't drive, it took him hours to get dressed and he could only type with one hand. And all that because of one moment of emotion.


	25. Chapter 25

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 25: Getting there.  
Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): Language/adult themes  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Stephanie is going back to Trenton**  
**Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Getting there**

Stephanie gripped the wheel a little firmer. It was about 5 pm and she was getting closer to Trenton everyday now. She guessed she needed about 2 more days and she would be there. Back in her apartment, working for Vinnie and maybe Ranger occasionally. The latter occupied her thoughts frequently. She wondered if he really hadn't followed her, or if she simply hadn't found out. But her spidy sense hadn't tingled, so her gut feeling was that he had not tried to find her. She had thought a long time about sending the card or not, but in the end decided that she did want to let Ranger know that she was alive and on the other hand wanted to make sure he understood he had to wait until she chose to return. She really didn't want to follow up on her threat, so she hoped it would convince Ranger to wait for her. Because she didn't know his address and didn't want to send the card to his office, she used her own address, guessing and actually expecting Ranger to check her apartment on a regular basis for clues and to make sure everything was in order. If she had been wrong, it wouldn't be a problem because she hadn't put anything too important on that card. And she knew he would know that she was Canada, but her gut feeling said that he probably had found out about her flight ticket and rental car anyway. She wondered how things were in Trenton. She had called her mom about once a week, so she was up to date with most of the gossip, but her mother had no information about Ranger or Morelli. She had thought a long time about what she would do when she was back. She had decided that she would first greet her family and friends and then she would give Ranger a call to see if he wanted to meet with her. No need for her to wait for him to make the first move. She knew now that she wanted him, and she could tell him that. No need for her to fret and wait and be anxious about whether or not he would contact her. She would take matters in her own hands. She smiled. Imagine that: she was going to pursue Ranger!

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Tank looked over at Ranger, who was slouched next to him in the car. They had been to the hospital and were now on their way back to Rangeman. Ranger was half asleep because of the drugs they had given him. The x-rays had shown that the fracture in his wrist had moved so they had to straighten the bone before putting it in a cast. The 2 cracked bones in his hand made it an extra painful experience, so they had given him something to take the edge off. Tank knew that Ranger himself was responsible for the movement of the bones, because he had tried to do a lot of things with his right hand, despite the doctors' orders to give it complete rest. After the doctor was satisfied with the alignment of the bone, they had put the cast on and the nurse had actually asked Ranger which colour he preferred to be put over the cast. Ranger had looked at her and she had taken that as encouragement and had shown him a whole set of colours ranging from bright pink to black. Ranger had just pointed to the black and she had asked 'are you sure, I think blue would suit you better." The look Ranger had on his face was priceless, but he had insisted on the black. She even found him a black sling to match, so he could still maintain his image. Women do that sort of thing for him.

Ranger shifted in his seat and looked up.

"Where are we going?"

"I was going to drop off some receipts at the bond office." He just nodded. When I parked in front of the office he suddenly sat up straight, looking around him, on full alert.

"What's up?" Ranger kept scanning the street and tried to look in the office. After a few seconds he shrugged and undid his seatbelt.

"You coming in?" Tank asked.

"Yeah." That was surprising, because normally he would have waited in the car, to avoid questioning by Lula and Connie.

Lula and Connie stopped talking when we came in and looked at Ranger with huge eyes.

"What happened with you?" Connie asked.

"Accident," was all that Ranger said, his eyes telling her not to ask any more questions.

"Some accident," Lula said. Ranger just gave her a look and Lula put up her hands.

"Hey, I'm just saying," she said. Tank walked over to Connie and dropped the body receipts at her desk.

"Wow, you guys have been busy." We had had a lucky streak and caught 3 high bond skips in 5 days. She got out the check book and started writing the checks. Tank looked over at Ranger, who seemed restless. He was looking at the door to Vinnie's office and looking out of the window again. Lula was looking at Ranger, like she was waiting for something to happen. Just as Connie was writing the last check, the door to Vinnie's office opened and we all heard Stephanie say:

"Okay, I'll start Monday."

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"Joe, can you look at this?" Joe got up from the couch and walked over to the computer where Eve Fresco was working on. They had spent hours and hours already in the office that had been set up for this investigation trying to find out leads and going through information. Soon detective Morelli and agent Fresco had turned into Joe and Eve. He leaned over her shoulder to see what was on the screen, noting her delicious perfume and well shaped breasts.

"What do you make of this picture?" she asked him.

"When did this come in?" he asked her.

"Just now." Joe looked at the picture. It showed 3 men standing together somewhere. He could see 2 cars in the background and what appeared to be a park bench. One man was known to him, he was a suspect in this case. One of the others looked slightly familiar to him, but he couldn't place him.

"Do you know the other 2?" he asked Eve.

"No, do you?"

"The one on the left looks familiar to me, but I don't know why right now."

"This came in from our surveillance unit. The meeting happened this afternoon." Joe nodded. It could mean anything, but he had a feeling that this might be important.

"Can you print it for me? I'd like to compare it to some other files I have. Maybe I can identify the guy on the left."

"Sure," Eve said and tapped a few buttons, bringing the printer to life. He went back to the couch and Eve settled in next to him, with a stack of papers. She gave him the photo and then they looked at the other information that had come in. Their heads were bowed over 1 particular piece of information when they both looked up at the same time, and their lips were less than 3 inches apart. They looked at each other, but they didn't move. During the past few days, the sexual tension had become more evident. Joe had caught Eve watching him a few times and vice versa. He had thought about it for a long time, and decided that he wanted to see if they could build something together. She was a 'one in a million' type of woman for him. Eve licked her lips and Joe felt his body respond. Slowly he moved his head about an inch forward, to see how she would react. She seemed to think about it and then her head came forward too and their lips met in a soft kiss. It was gentle and warm. Slowly Joe withdrew his head and looked at Eve again. He smiled at her and she smiled back. He felt relieved, she wasn't angry or afraid, she had wanted this as much as he did.

"Want to have dinner with me tomorrow night, Eve?" he asked her, their lips still inches apart.

"Yes, Joe, I'd like that." They smiled again and with one last quick kiss they went back to work again.

After another hour Joe looked up at Eve and warm feelings spread throughout his body. The kiss had felt very natural, as had the dinner question. Wow, he really liked this woman.


	26. Chapter 26

**Title: It's all about living life  
Chapter 26: Being there  
Author: Ann (Chrystalsandsnowflakes)**  
**Rating:** (G to NC-17): Language and adult themes  
**Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place in the future, so after EOT**  
**Summary: Some Steph and Ranger time… Awwww:)****  
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, I just play with them. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Being there**

I opened my eyes to see where we were, noticing we weren't taking the fastest route back to the office. The drugs that they gave me were pretty strong, so I hadn't noticed before. The whole wrist episode had been pretty painful, but now I was feeling very little at the moment. Tank told me he was dropping off some receipts at the bond office. We were getting closer to the bond office when I felt a familiar feeling. I only had that feeling when Stephanie was around. Could this mean that she had come back? My pulse jumped at least 20 beats at the thought of it. I started looking at the street, seeing if I could spot her car or any sign of her, but I turned up nothing. I looked into the office, but couldn't see her there. Still, the feeling grew stronger, as did my excitement. Tank was surprised I came in with him, I hadn't planned on it but now that Stephanie was nearby, I had to. Inside the feeling was so strong I knew she was there, but still hadn't seen anything that confirmed it. I did see Lula looking at me expectantly, so something was up. Could I be right? I looked at the door to Vinnie's office. Maybe she was in there. I could feel Tank glancing at me, wondering what was going on. I once again tried to identify the cars outside, when the door from Vinnie's office opened and Steph walked out, saying something about Monday over her shoulder to Vinnie. An incredible feeling washed over me, I felt happy, relieved, excited, irritated and tense all at once. She turned around and immediately we locked eyes. She stopped and I stopped and we just looked at each other. The whole world seemed to come to a halt when I looked into her deep blue eyes. Then slowly a smile spread over her face and I gave one back.

"Ranger," she said softly.

"Babe." She looked good, tanned and healthy. Her eyes were shining again and she looked more at peace. Her eyes zoomed in on my arm.

"What happened with your arm?"   
"Accident."

"Is it broken?"

"Broken wrist and 2 cracked bones in my hand."

And then Tanks phone rang, interrupting the moment and making her aware of the curious stares from Connie and Lula in our direction. Since I couldn't do much, Tank was in charge of most of the business this month. We did discuss a lot of things, but all emergency calls went to him, because I couldn't do much about it anyway. It was a short conversation, but I could tell that it wasn't a good one. I looked at him and he said:

"Problems with a takedown," and left the office. It wasn't until after his car had left, that I realised I had no transportation. Shit. These drugs were making me slow. Since the whole office was still watching Stephanie and myself, I wanted to get out of there.

"Walk with me?" I asked her. She nodded and said goodbye to Connie and Lula. She walked over to a car I didn't recognize.

"New car?" I asked.

"No, it's a rental. I'm returning it tomorrow."

"Could you give me a ride to the office?"

"Tank took the car, huh?" She smiled at me.

"Yeah."

We got in and she drove to my office. She parked her car in the underground garage and looked at me.

"You look tired."

"Arm's been keeping me awake."

"How much longer do you need the cast?"

"They said 4 to 6 weeks." I gave a sigh and rested my head against the seat. She smiled at that.

"It happened recently?"

"Yeah, I got the cast today."

"It happened today!" She looked at me with surprise.

"No, 5 days ago, but there was too much swelling so they couldn't put a cast on yet." She nodded.

"When did you get back?" I asked, to change the subject.

"Today. I just visited my parents and went to the bonds office to let Vinnie know that I am back at work on Monday." I nodded. I wanted her to stay around longer, just to talk and be around her.

"Want to have dinner upstairs?" She looked surprised and for a moment I was afraid that I had pushed her too much. I still had no idea what happened during her trip, or how she was feeling about me. But then she gave a small nod and said:

"Why not, saves me a trip to Pino's." We got into the elevator and I tried to open the front door for her, but it was awkward to do it with my left hand. Too late I realised that the apartment was a mess and that I didn't have a lot of food in the house anymore. Ella had a week off and she wasn't due to come back for another 4 days. Usually I'm reasonably tidy, but with only one hand, I had not been able to do even a lot simple things, like dishes and so on. So I had left them on a stack in the kitchen. My clothes were laying all around the apartment because I had been frustrated. This morning I had tried a few things before finding something that I had been able to put on and looked reasonably formal, so my bedroom looked messy. I had been eating sandwiches from the control room for dinner mostly, and Tank had dropped in yesterday with Chinese take out. Ever tried eating rice with your left hand only?

"Let me do that," Stephanie said. She took the keys from my hand and opened the front door and walked in. I heard her take in a quick breath at the sight of the apartment.

"Ella's out of town," I said.

"So I see," she said with a smile.

Stephanie POV

I looked around the apartment. For the first time it looked like someone lived there. There was a stack of dishes in the sink and some take out cartons standing on the counter. A sweatshirt was laying on a chair near the kitchen counter and a t-shirt was on the floor. A jacket was hanging over the back of the couch and a pair of socks was laying next to it on the floor. A pair of black trainers were laying next to the bedroom door, obviously kicked off, laces still tied up. There were several cups and a bowl with spoon on the coffee table. A book was on the couch and his laptop was on his desk in the office area, mouse on the left hand side. Papers were laying around it, together with a note pad and pen. I walked towards the bedroom door and looked in. The bed was unmade, sheets crumpled. Some type of pills laying on the nightstand, a book laying on the floor in front of it. On the end of the bed there was a small pile of clothes, and I recognized a shirt, a pair of pants and some sweats. Another t-shirt was laying near the door to the bathroom, and right in front of the door was a pair of running shorts. Another pair of trainers laying the corner, again with the laces still tied. The bathroom door was open and I could see a pile in there that looked like laundry, a towel laying on top. I smiled. It was obvious that living with only one hand wasn't all that easy. I turned from the bedroom door and looked at Ranger. I now noticed his slightly strange outfit. He usually dressed with great care, but today he wore dark grey slacks with a black t-shirt and a dark grey neat sweater. It didn't look bad, but I had seen him wear this combination once before, but then with a white dress shirt. The t-shirt didn't completely fit the neat outfit, but I could understand why he currently preferred it above a shirt with buttons. He looked a bit sheepish, still standing in the hall, his right hand in the sling with a black cast (of course). He was leaning against the wall, following me with his eyes. He looked tired.

"So who's cooking dinner?" I asked playfully. I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Some fruit, vegetables and milk, but not a lot there.

"Ehm… How about we order take out?"

"Sure, how about pizza?" I was teasing him, but he surprised me.

"Yeah, that's okay. What would you like?"

He placed our orders and then made a move to clean up some clothes.

"Leave it, Ranger. I don't mind."

"Sorry, this living with one hand thing is more difficult than I thought."

"Hey, my apartment always looked like this and I had no excuse for it." He smiled and settled himself on the couch, only to sit up again.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked.

"Don't get up, I'll get it." I got up and went into the kitchen. He followed me anyway, he wasn't good with a passive role. I turned around and looked at him. He was looking uncomfortable. I suddenly realised that he had no idea about my mindset regarding him. During my trip I had come to the conclusion that I wanted to try out a relationship with him if he could open up a bit more, but I hadn't told him that yet. And he must have gotten the card about a week ago, so he maybe even thought I was angry with him, or had tried to put some distance between us. I wanted to let him know that there was nothing to worry about, but that we would talk in more detail later. I was looking at him, thinking about how to say this when he spoke.

"Are you angry with me?" No Babe, no Stephanie.

"No."

"Why did you send the card?" So he had found the card and it had bothered him a lot.

"I wanted to let you know that I was still alive, but that I really needed my time." He just nodded, and I thought that I saw a flash of relief in his eyes.

"Hell of a way to let someone know that you're still alive, Babe." The Babe was back.

"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you understood how serious I was about this trip." I didn't regret the card, but realised I should have phrased the message differently. Oh well, it wasn't as if Ranger had never left me guessing about the meaning of certain words. I gently grabbed his shoulders and he let me turn him around. I gave him a little push towards the couch.

"Go sit, relax. I'll get the drinks." He hesitated but did walk to the couch and sat down on one end of it. I grabbed 2 glasses and filled them with the only juice that was left in the fridge and carried them over to where Ranger had settled himself on the couch. His eyes were closed and his head was resting against the back of the couch. When I put down the glasses he sat up with a jerk. I raised my eyebrows at him in question.

"They gave me painkillers in the hospital." That must have been some stuff to almost knock him out.

"Why?"

"They had to set the bone straight before they could put a cast on it. It was a bit difficult since I cracked 2 bones in my hand as well." Difficult, yeah right. Painful would be more like it.

"That must have been a painful experience." He just nodded and drank his juice. His phone rang and he answered it. The conversation was brief.

"The pizza arrived. They're brining it up." And a minute later his doorbell rang and he got up and opened the door. He put the pizza on the kitchen counter and I joined him there. The pizza was already cut into slices, but when he picked up a slice with one hand, the tip hung down, and the toppings fell off. He muttered something under his breath and started to put the toppings back on. I was wondering how he was going to solve this problem. The easy way would be to ask me to cut the slices into pieces that he could eat with a fork. But this is Ranger we were talking about. He picked up another slice, trying to get the tip to stay up, but his hand wasn't big enough, and again, toppings fell off. He put the slice down and closed his eyes for a moment. I decided not to offer my help, but see if he would ask for it. He looked at me with an unreadable expression and saw I was already halfway through my first slice. He sighed, looked at his pizza, and looked at me again. I looked back, but didn't say anything.

"Babe." It sounded pained.

"Ranger," I said calmly. He looked at his pizza again. Come on, I thought, just ask! The silence stretched and I had to work hard to keep my expression neutral. I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. He was getting worked up because he had to ask for help.

"Can you help me?" he gritted out.

"Sure." I got a knife and fork and started cutting the slices in smaller pieces that he could eat with a fork.

"Thanks." He started eating and we didn't say anything. I had just finished my second slice when Ranger forked a new piece of pizza, which slid off his fork halfway to his mouth and landed upside down on the counter. He made an agitated move with his left hand, and unfortunately forgot that his glass half full with juice was there and it fell over, drenching most of his leftover pizza in orange juice.

"Goddamn it!" He threw his fork down and got up. He walked towards the couch, his back to me and I could see his left hand grabbing the back of it, knuckles white. I could see he was trying hard to calm himself down again. His shoulders slumped and he looked defeated. I could only imagine how often this had happened in the last few days. And Ranger was a person who liked his independence and was used to be able to do anything he wanted basically. Now he had to ask for help with simple things and everything took longer than usual. I got up and got some paper towels to blot up the rest of the orange juice. I picked up the piece of pizza from the counter and threw it out. After about a minute he turned around again leaned against the couch.

"Sorry, it's just that…. Well, today hasn't been my day." I nodded.

"That was the third glass that I knocked over today, can you believe it?" He made a frustrated move with both his arms and his right arm was stopped with a jerk by the sling. He looked like he was about to explode. I felt sorry for him and walked to him and grabbed his left hand.

"Come on, Ranger." I tugged at his left hand and he let me lead him around the couch. I pushed him down on the couch and walked around it again, so I was standing behind him. He was following me with his eyes, looking a bit unsure. I put my hands on his shoulders and could feel the tension there. I gave them a quick squeeze.

"Relax, Ranger." I could feel him make an effort to relax a bit, but there was still a lot of tension left. I reached around him and got a pillow that was laying next to him and put it on the armrest. Then I gently lifted the sling over his head and placed his right arm on the pillow. Ranger just looked at me but didn't say anything. I pulled his sweater up and he lifted his arms so I could pull it over his head. He replaced his right arm on the pillow. I placed the sweater next to him on the couch and then I put both my hands back on his shoulders again, and started massaging them. I could feel his muscles rolling under my hands. He still didn't say anything, like he was unsure what to do. I gently kneaded on, and when that still didn't have the desired effect I gave him a little shake.

"Just relax, Ranger." I could finally feel him give in to the massage. He started relaxing and when I moved my hands up to his neck he let his head fall forward, giving me better access. I worked my way up and down his neck, and then back to his shoulders again. I pressed my fingers a bit more firmly into his muscles this time, Ranger didn't seem the type for softly, softly. I worked on his shoulders for a few minutes and then went further down his back. He leaned forward a bit, placing his left arm on his knees for support, his head still hanging down, eyes closed. I found some knots in his lower back, and started working on those. After that I worked my way up again.

"Mmmm, Babe." Ranger mumbled. Guess he liked it. I worked all the way up to his neck again and moved to the front of his shoulders. Ranger slouched further down and put his head against the back of the couch, eyes closed, looking much more relaxed. After another 5 minutes I slowly stopped kneading. His eyes were closed and I wondered if he had fallen asleep. He looked very relaxed now, his eyes closed, his eyelashes resting on his cheeks. I slowly withdrew my hands and walked back to the kitchen. I started cleaning up the soggy mess that was left of his pizza. Nothing could save that one. I ate another slice of my own pizza and put the rest of the pizza in the fridge. I had just started doing the dishes when Ranger stirred on the couch. He sat up and rubbed his face. He turned around and looked at me.

"Hey there," I said and smiled at him. He smiled back and got up.

"Babe, you don't have to do that." He walked into the kitchen and dropped off one of the glasses that he had taken with him from the coffee table.

"It's no bother. Here, let me help you to put your sling back on." I gently lifted the sling over his head. I took a step forward to be able to adjust the sling in his neck, just as he moved forward to accommodate me. We were suddenly very close and his left hand slid around my back, pulling me close to him. His eyes were searching mine, asking if this was okay. My arms found their way around his back and I could feel him putting his face in my hair and taking a deep breath. My forehead was leaning against the side of his neck, and I breathed in the heavenly scent of Ranger. Oh, how I had missed this, this feeling of warmness and safety. This feeling of his body in my hands, feeling the muscles move as he moved, feeling his hands on my body.

"Thank you, Babe. I needed that," Ranger said, referring to the massage. I smiled against his t-shirt.  
"You looked like you could do with some pampering." I heard him chuckle and felt the vibrations going through his body.

"Yeah, something like that."

"You should go to bed, you look tired." I pulled my head back to look at his face. He looked doubtful. I stepped back from his arms and placed my hands on his shoulders.

"Come on." I started pushing him in the direction of the bedroom. He reluctantly let me.

"Go change. I'll finish this up and then I'll leave you alone to have a nice night of painkiller induced sleep." We were now standing at the entrance of his bedroom. He walked in and sat down on the bed, bending forward to take off his shoes.

"I ask you to come over for dinner, and then I can only offer you take-out in a messy apartment and I fall asleep halfway through the evening." He sounded incredulous. I laughed at that.

"Oh well, it's a nice change. Usually I was the one who fell asleep." He too smiled at the memory.

"Have lunch with me tomorrow, to make it up to you?" he asked. I thought about that. Tomorrow was Thursday, and I didn't have plans yet. I was off until Monday.

"Okay."

"Good, can you pick me up at around 12.30?" I nodded. Then I gestured to the bed in general.

"Do you need help with anything?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt the atmosphere change and the sexual tension was there. His eyes darkened as he looked at me for a moment and I felt my mouth go dry. I mumbled:

"Forget I asked," and quickly turned and walked to the kitchen. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and finished washing the dishes. After I had wiped the counter, I could feel he was watching me. He was standing in the doorway and looked delicious. He had taken the sling off and his right arm was hanging down by his side. His left hand was braced against the wall. All that he was wearing was a pair of black silk boxers. The black cast looked good on him. He still looked dangerous, but with a touch of wounded warrior thrown in. I felt my insides go soft and I instinctively licked my lips. We looked at each other, neither of us moving.

After what seemed like hours, but were probably just a few seconds, I shook my head to clear my mind. I couldn't believe the effect this guy had on me. This could be fun if I was really going to pursue him. If he played his cards right and looked at me like that, the pursuing part would maybe last about 1 hour, then I would be ready to surrender to him. How had I ever been able to resist him? I must have been really in love with Morelli, I thought by myself. I cleared my throat so I was able to talk again.

"All is finished in here. I'll see you tomorrow then." Was that my squeaky voice? I quickly grabbed my purse and walked to the door. I had to get out of here before I jumped him. When I stopped to open the door he grabbed me from behind and pulled me against him. I jumped a little because I hadn't heard him move. His lips were next to my ear when he whispered to me.

"Looking forward to it, Babe." He gave me a quick kiss in my neck and reached around me to open the door. I just nodded and automatically walked through it. The door closed softly behind me, leaving me alone with my thoughts.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: Feeding the hungry. WARNING: SMUT BETWEEN LULA AND TANK**

That night I was laying in my bed, thinking about the events of the day. I was back in Trenton, much to my mother's happiness. I had a few days off before I would start my job again, and I was looking forward to it. I was back in my improved apartment and it felt like coming home. And I had a lunch date with Ranger. Everything during dinner had felt nice, relaxed and friendly right until those last couple of minutes. And now I was thinking about it again. Why did that bother me so much, didn't I want Ranger to want me? Yeah, a little voice said, but what exactly does he want from you? That was it, just like he didn't know my ideas about him, I didn't know how he thought about me. Did he want a relationship? Or just friends with benefits? Or maybe just playing around? I realised during my time in Canada that I only wanted a relationship if it was a real one. Otherwise friendship was the only possibility. And this time I would want 'normal' friendship, without the touching, innuendos, kisses and looks. This was exactly why I needed to talk to him before this went too far and I got another of those 'I love you in my own way, no ring needed but condoms come in handy' answers from him that would break my heart. With a contented sigh I turned on my side and snuggled in my pillow. Yep, life was looking good and being back in Trenton felt good.

I got up at a reasonable time that morning, and delivered the rental back to the company. I unpacked and did the laundry. Then I went to the supermarket and got myself some necessities of life, like Tasty cakes, ice cream and Cheez doodles. After I put everything away, it was time to go to Rangeman, to pick up Ranger. I drove right up to the fence in front of the garage when I realised that I didn't have any keys anymore. I whipped out my cell phone and called Ranger.

"Yo."

"Yo yourself. I'm in front of your garage."

"Come on in, Babe."

"I can't, I have no key." I heard Ranger say something to someone else and the gate opened itself.

"Thanks," I said, but there was only a dial tone in my ear.

I drove in and parked next to his Cayenne. I got out and then the next problem presented itself: I couldn't get to the 7th floor without keys. I looked a bit uncertain at the cameras when my phone rang again. Ranger.

"Yo."

"Yo yourself, Babe."

"I can't get up to your apartment."

"I programmed the elevator, just step in." Dial tone. The elevator doors opened themselves at that moment, and I got in. And indeed, it went straight up to his apartment. When the doors opened, I got off and saw that the door to his apartment was open. I walked in and called out to him. He answered from his bedroom.

"Come in, Babe." I walked towards the open bedroom door and looked in. Ranger was standing in front of his closet. He was wearing dark blue jeans that fit him well and he was still on his socks. He was currently busy with putting on a black long sleeved shirt with buttons, the black sling laying on the bed. He looked delicious. He was fumbling with the buttons of the shirt and I saw that he was trying to use his right hand, but that it was a painful experience to move the fingers of his right hand.

"Let me help you with that." He looked up in surprise, he hadn't heard me come in to his bedroom.

"I feel like I'm 3 years old again," he said. I smiled at him and started with the lowest button of the shirt, which was situated low on his chest. He wasn't wearing anything under the shirt and my hands touched some skin. I felt a shiver going through me and I saw him watching me intently. I finished with button number 2 (there were 5 in total) and my mind told me it was really a shame to cover up all that delicious mocha latte skin.

"How many buttons shall I leave open?"

"As many as you like, Babe," he said in a low voice. I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks and looked up at him. His pupils were dilated black and there was a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. He was playing again. A moment long I felt the impulse to back pedal, but then realised that I had just spend months away from him finding out that I wanted him. There was nothing standing in between us anymore, no guilt whatsoever, so I could play with him just as much as he liked to play with me. The playing field had just levelled itself! While I closed the 3rd button I spoke.

"Ranger, there aren't enough buttons on this shirt to leave open for the way I like it." And with that I turned around to the bed and grabbed his sling. The sling was really nothing more than a long piece of foam, covered in black fabric. I placed it around his neck and folded the end of each side around the cast on his arm. One end around his wrist, the other end around his arm and secured them with pins. I looked at him with a smile and saw that he was still watching me with a slightly stunned expression in his eyes. I felt encouraged by this, so I bowed forward, letting my right arm snake around his lower back while allowing my lips to run across his jaw and heard him take a sharp breath. I continued until my lips were next to his ear and then half whispered/half moaned:

"I'm hungry, Ranger." At the same time I placed my leg between his and pulled him with my right arm against me, making it clear what kind of 'hunger' we were talking about and felt him grow hard against my hip. I gently bit on his earlobe and felt him shiver. I was playing with fire, but it was just too good and opportunity to let pass after the years of torture he put me through before Morelli and I got married.

"Babe," he groaned. I smiled at myself and then whispered in his ear.

"Let's have lunch," and let go of him and walked out of the bedroom.

I was leaning against the back of the couch when he walked out of the bedroom a minute later, black trainers in his hands. He dropped the trainers to the floor and started to shove his feet into them. The laces were tied, but loosely so he could get them on without having to redo the laces.

"Babe, that was unfair."

"No Ranger, that was fun." He looked at me with an unreadable expression for a moment and I wondered for a moment if he was angry. Then he spoke.

"It was both." I nodded while smiling, indicating that I agreed with him but still thought that he deserved it. He walked towards me, crooked his left arm around my neck and kissed me somewhere above my ear.

"Come on, let's feed your other hunger," referring to my love for food this time.

We had a nice lunch at Shorty's while we talked about where I had been and what had been going on in Trenton while I was away. I almost could feel my feelings for him grow, and realised we needed to talk about the future soon. Very soon. As in after lunch.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I could see more than a few covert glances at Ranger when Stephanie's car pulled up at the gate. I was sure that everybody knew she was back after Stephanie had driven him back yesterday evening, but nobody knew what happened, other than that pizza had been ordered and that Stephanie had left a few hours later. I had tried to find out during our run this morning, but Ranger wasn't talking about it. Still, his mood was good, so it couldn't have been bad. And here she was again, picking him up for lunch. She called him to say she had no keys and he told Ram to open the gate. After that he had left the control room and went up to his apartment. When they had come down together 15 minutes later, he had changed his clothes. That sparked a discussion in the control room about a possible 'quick nooner' and they were checking to see if Stephanie's clothes looked different in any way when I put a stop to it. I was going out for lunch myself, so I needed the men to get their minds back to work. I was meeting Lula in 10 minutes at her house, and I did have hopes for a 'nooner' although quick wasn't our style. I intended to use the full hour of the lunch hour.

I rang her from the car, asking her if she was home.

"Oh yeah, I'm home and ready." Lula wasn't subtle, but that's what I liked about her.

"Really, how ready?" I asked in a low tone.

"Why don't you come over to find out?" she answered with a seductive tone in her voice.

"Lucky for me I'm standing in front of your door." I heard her squeal and ended the connection. Two seconds later, she opened the door, wearing a robe so it was impossible for me to see what else she was wearing, but usually this meant she had made a trip to Victoria's Secret. I felt myself grow hard in anticipation. This woman was amazing. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. Then I fixed my patented sexy stare at her and she looked right back.

"Like what you see, big man?" she asked in a low and sexy voice. I made an affirmative sound and slowly she opened the robe. I almost stopped breathing. I had mentioned to her a few weeks ago that women wearing stockings and suspenders were a big turn on for me, and that was exactly what she was wearing. The whole set was a beautiful red with orange and red flowers on it that contrasted beautifully with her dark brown skin. Everything was made with lace and the stockings were the same colour of red, her brown skin shining through them. I swallowed hard and just stared at her.

"Then how do you like this?" she asked, while dropping the robe to the floor. I made a sound that sounded like a growling purr and took a step towards her. Her eyes widened a bit at the obvious hunger in my eyes and she took a step back with a devious look in her eyes. Uh-oh. That usually meant something bad in an incredibly good way was about to happen. I took another step forward and she took another step back, towards her bedroom.

"Now this set cost me a fortune, so I can't let you rip it off me like you did last time," she said with a sexy stern look. I just shook my head, willing to promise anything as long as it would make me able to touch her. Another step forward and she took another backward step towards the bedroom. I made a frustrated noise.

"Somehow I ain't convinced that you won't rip it off me." She looked thoughtful, but in a way that you knew that she already had thought of a solution to her 'problem'. I was wondering where this would lead, I could only look at her in that outfit and all coherent thought left me. Suddenly she turned and walked into her bedroom and I followed her, while pulling my t-shirt over my head and kicking off my shoes at the same time. She was standing next to her bed, holding something behind her back and a sexy grin on her face. I was starting to open my pants when her voice stopped me.

"No rush, my man." Then she took one step forward and I could almost reach her. Almost…

"What do you have behind your back?"

"Trust me?" I waited for a moment before answering her. She could, in theory, have a gun behind her back and blow my brains out, but I knew that that wasn't very likely. Still, I'm ex-army, I learned to be careful.

"You'll regret it if you say 'no'" she said, almost purring, and I knew it had to be something good, so I nodded 'yes'.

"Turn around." What? No, I wanted to see her in that outfit, feel her. I made a move forward and she stepped back again. Damn! I was so hard I felt I would explode soon.

"C'mon, trust me!" I took one last wistful look at her and then turned around. I felt her walk up behind me and then she placed something over my eyes. My instinct was to move away, but she whispered 'trust me, darlin', you'll love it' in my ears and I relaxed. Still, I wanted to see her.

"But I want to be able to see you!" I sounded desperate, even to me. She chuckled.

"No worry, we'll do that later, Thomas." I shivered when she used my real name. I loved how sexy it sounded from her mouth. She led me to the bed and pushed me down. She made me move to the middle of the bed and my arms were laying wide. I could feel her climbing on the bed herself and then on top of me. My hands went to her and she said:

"Nuh uh. That way this nice set will end up on the floor in no time." She pushed back my arms and she did some wonderful things to my ear and neck and when she whispered 'trust me' I suddenly felt the cold metal around my wrists and heard the familiar click of cuffs. I pulled back and realised she cuffed me to her bed. She had one of those cast iron frames, so I wasn't going to be able to get loose unless she wanted that. I stopped struggling and realised she was still sitting on top of me.

"Done this before, Tank?" she asked me. I shook my head 'no'. Never met a person whom I trusted enough, really.

"Well, there's a first for everything, and this is yours, my man." The way she said it made my blood rush south once more and she chuckled when she felt my response. I suddenly understood the erotic attraction of cuffs for the first time in my life. So far I had only used them for my work to restrain dangerous persons, and had never really understood how it could be 'fun' to be restrained myself, but Lula had just given me a whole new perspective.

"Better let the office know you're gonna be late, Thomas." I could only swallow and nod. I felt her grab my mobile and heard her push some buttons.

"Hi, it's Lula here. Just thought I'd let you guys know that Tank is off line for a couple of hours." God, I was never going to hear the end of it when I came back, but I had the feeling it would be more than worth it.

And it had been more than worth it. Lula had spent over 1.5 hours torturing me in the best way possible before she released me. After that we had made love one last time while I had been able to hold and see her, before taking a shower together. I was currently driving back to the office, my legs still shaking and noticed that my wrists showed some marks from the cuffs. I started rooting around the car for a sweatshirt to put on, but couldn't find any. Shit, if the guys saw this I had no life left! I would have to fetch a long sleeved shirt from my apartment first thing and not forget to put on long sleeved clothes on for the next few days. But no matter what happened, nothing could wipe the smile from my face nor stop the warm feeling I had inside me. I loved that woman.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Lunch time, munch time, crunch time**

After lunch Stephanie drove me back to the office. I could feel that there was something on her mind. Lunch had been great, we had talked about the things that had happened while she was away, but it seemed like something was occupying her mind in the background. Well, she wasn't the only one who was having serious thoughts. I had fallen asleep soon after she left the apartment last night, but woken up around 3 am when the painkillers had worn off. The cast was itching and my hand was hurting and I hadn't been able to fall asleep anymore, so I had had some time to think about the evening myself. I had almost lost it while she was there, but she had done the right thing to deflate the situation and it had made me feel more relaxed than I had for a long time. Her massage had felt very natural and loving and it made me once again realise that I missed that in my life. Someone who took care of me, so to say. I didn't need a lot of caring for, but on occasion a helping hand was nice, especially if those hands could massage the way Steph's could.

I still had to wear this cast for 4 weeks or so. I had been struggling along for almost a week with the splint, overdoing it and moving the fracture in my wrist. And now Steph was here, and she stepped in to help me on the right moments. She still allowed me to do a lot of things on my own, even if it took more time, but when it got difficult and frustrating she took over and helped me, without making me feel like an invalid. I realised that being able to ask for help was part of a serious relationship, to allow myself to be vulnerable in front of her was something that I found extremely difficult. I had always been afraid that it would start with little things and end up smothering me and then the inevitable discussion about my job and lifestyle. But this was Stephanie we were talking about. She was a bounty hunter herself, and she loved it. She knew me better than I was willing to admit, and she had never tried to get me to change occupations. Actually, she had been interested in me despite my job and lifestyle and I had been the one to push her off, because I thought it would be too dangerous. Too dangerous for my heart, more like it. And when she was gone I had missed her like crazy. I had tried telling myself that was because I worried about her safety, but that was just an excuse. I missed her, her vibrant personality, her unique look at life. And now she was back, looking better than ever and I had realised that I really wanted to try a relationship with her. I was scared shitless, but I still wanted to see if we could make this work. Just her and me. I could imagine what it would be like to come after a long day of work and to find her in the apartment. It would be wonderful. I also thought about the occasional heart attack I would have when a message came in about another exploded car, but I had those heart attacks anyway, even when we weren't together. I had had those heart attacks from about 2 months after we met, so that was nothing new. I looked at her and realised I loved her, more than I had ever loved anybody else. But was she interested in me? She had been nice, warm and friendly, even a bit playful, but so far there was nothing that had given me a clear sign. I wanted to know, I needed to know. If she isn't interested in me I don't think I can stay in Trenton, it would be too hard to see her and realise that the love of my life had moved on because I had been too afraid of commitment when she was willing to give a real relationship a try. I looked out of the window and realised we were in the garage and she had turned the engine off.

"Want to come up?" I asked. I'm the type of person who faces trouble right away. Military thing, I suppose.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you." Mmm, not sure if I like the sound of that. I nod in response and we get out and take the elevator up to the apartment. I open the door and she walks in.

"Would you like something to drink? I'm making coffee," she tells me.

"Coffee's good." This is still a strange situation for me. She is in my apartment, and she looks like she fits there, making coffee, knowing where to find the ingredients. I never had that feeling before.

"Have a seat, this won't take long," she says. I suddenly realise that she is completely in control of this situation. I feel nervous and unsure, but she seems calm and determined and that scares the shit out of me. I sit down on the couch, listening intently to the sounds from the kitchen. A few minutes later she puts down a cup of coffee in front of me and sits at the other side of the couch, her hands around the mug. I want this conversation to start, but I'm not sure how. Luckily she saves me the trouble.

"I wanted to talk to you about a few things that I realised while I was away." I nod, urging her to continue.

"You've been a part of my life for a few years now and you've seen me at my best and worst." She smiles at the memories and then continues.

"While I was away I realised that I wanted you to stay a part of my life." I still don't know where this is going, and it is driving me crazy. It takes all my willpower to stay seated and look calmly at her. She looks at me for a moment before she continues.

"I want you to become an important part of my life." It takes a moment before the words register. Important part. That sounds good, doesn't it? Better ask.

"How important?"

Stephanie POV

Ranger eyes were shielded when he asked his question. He tried to show how relaxed he was, but he wasn't fooling me. He was sitting very still, his coffee still untouched on the table. I almost smiled. I realised that I had become pretty good at reading Ranger. I knew what to look for now. And for the first time I realised that I was the one who was in control. I had always thought I would be a little ball of nerves during this conversation, but during the ride up to his apartment, I had felt myself calm down. I wanted to try a relationship with Ranger, and therefore I needed to know his feelings and ideas about that. Don't get me wrong, I would be devastated if he said that he couldn't have a relationship with me, but at least I had tried then. For the first time I agreed with the saying: it's better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all. Time to answer his question.

"Promise me you'll let me finish before you respond." He nodded once. I took a deep breath and knew it was time to say the words out loud that had played in my head so often lately.

"While I was away, I had a lot of time to think about me, relationships and you. I analysed what happened in my marriage and what that meant for any future relationships. And I thought about you and my feelings for you. You have been a great friend to me since we met. You've been my mentor and you have backed me up when nobody else wanted too. That has always been very important to me. But I have also been attracted to you. I like the way you live your life, how much you are willing to give to people that you care for. I know you've done some pretty impressive things for me, and I admired you for what you did to get Sofia and me save when we were held by Scrog. You were willing to give your life for us." I took a slow breath and glanced at Ranger. He was looking at me with guarded eyes. I really wondered what he was hoping that I would say. Was he trying to shield his emotions because he was afraid that I would say I only wanted friendship from him while he wanted to try a relationship, or because he was afraid I wanted a relationship when he didn't and didn't want to disappoint me? Well, only one way to find out, so I continued.

"After my separation from Joe, you and I met up again, and I realised how easy it would be for me to love you." His eyebrows shot up at this comment, his first open sign of emotion. Guess he never considered himself a person that is easy to love.

"But I also realised that our old type of relation isn't enough for me anymore. My playing days are over, and I'm only interested in something serious. An open and honest relationship between 2 persons in which they share each others lives. In which they tell each other about what's going on, how they feel and show their emotions. In which they do things together, love and cry together and ultimately move in together. I don't need to get married again, I've done it twice and it didn't bring me what I hoped for. But I do want loyalty and respect and 100 dedication to the relationship, even if it is without a wedding to symbolise the bond." I took another deep breath and Ranger made a move as if he wanted to start to say something. I held up a hand and he closed his mouth again. Still, it made me wonder if he had wanted to start the 'sorry, but I can't do that' speech. It had actually come out precisely the way I had wanted to say it. I had made it clear what I wanted in a relationship. But I wasn't stupid and knew I had to let him know that I realised that his background and business didn't always allow 100 openness. But I wanted to let him know that there was a difference between knowing all the facts and knowing a person. I didn't have to know all the little facts of his life, as long as I knew HIM. So now it was time to move to the last part of my tale.

"I know that there might be things that you can't tell me, things from your past or from your present. I understand and respect that. But there is a difference between not being able to tell me about a specific detail of a job or not being able to tell me a specific detail about you. If you would be interested in a relationship with me I want you to share yourself with me, including any characteristics that might piss me off on occasion or that you think I won't like, but are part of you, just like I have character traits that will piss you off on occasion but make me me." I looked directly in his eyes to show him how serious I was about this part. He looked back, eyes full of emotion but I couldn't say if it was positive or negative so I went on.

"I realise that there still is the risk that we date for a while and have to come to the conclusion over time that we are incompatible. But then at least we know that we have given it an honest chance. Then I don't have to wonder whether it was your lifestyle, or my job or anything like that that made us break up. Then we know that WE are incompatible as a couple. We can't fault ourselves for trying, and then I hope we can remain friends." I gave him another intense look. Still no real reaction. Okay, here goes nothing!

"But I'm in love with you and I want to share my life with you and I want you to share your life with me. I… want… you. So I want to know: do you want me?" I let those words hang in the air for a while and slowly lifted my eyes up to meet his intense gaze. And for the first time I felt nervous. I had put it all on the table, and now he could end it all with a few words. All my hopes and dreams. The walls seemed to move in on me and I felt like I couldn't breath. I needed to get out of here for a while, I needed to get my strength back before he gave me his answer. When he shifted on the couch I quickly spoke up.

"I'm going to leave now for about an hour. I want you to think about everything that I said and when I come back we'll finish this conversation. I need to be sure that you've thought about your answer, about its implications and everything, because whatever you decide, that is final for me. It is either a 'yes, I want to try a relationship with you the way you just described' or a 'no, I don't want to try out a relationship with you'. There is nothing in between. No relationship means that a normal friendship is all we can have and that excludes any kind of kissing, inappropriate touching or sexual comments." He nodded and seemed to want to say something. I held up my hand once more.

"Please, don't say anything right now, even if you already know your answer. I need some time to… mentally prepare myself. Please," I said softly. He seemed to think about that and then nodded once more. I took a deep breath and stood up. I grabbed my bag and car keys and walked towards the door. I opened it and turned around to take one last look at him and the apartment. There were many memories for me here, mostly good ones and some very hot ones. But when I would return all those memories would mean nothing compared to the explosive emotions that I would feel when Ranger gave me his answer. I closed my eyes for a moment, took another deep breath and then closed the door behind me.

I looked at my watch while I was waiting for the elevator. It was a little after 2pm. I would return at 3 o'clock, so what to do until then. This would be the longest hour of my life.

I had already named Ranger's daughter Sofia before we learned in book 12 that her name was Julie.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: It's all about living life**

I slowly leaned back against the couch after she closed the door, willing myself to relax. Wow, that had been some else. Obviously she had thought about it a long time, which was good to know. She was sure of her feelings and wishes. But even though I had come to the conclusion that I wanted her not that long ago, to hear her say it was something else. She had made it clear what she meant with a relationship and my initial reaction had been 'I can't give that kind of openness about my life'. But she had then added that she meant I had to share 100 of me, and maybe not all details of my life. So then the real question was: did I really want to share 100 of myself with her. I was scared to do that, had been for a long time. Having a spectacularly failed marriage in combination with a dangerous job made you very cautious. Everybody that was close to you was a potential threat because it made you vulnerable and you didn't think straight anymore when it came to them. And when you lived the type of life that I lived in those days you knew you could pay with your life for your mistakes. But now the situation was a bit different. I had quit the army, and even though I still did dangerous work, I had much more control now. Basically I couldn't use my job as an excuse anymore. I took a deep sigh and ran my left hand through my hair. Thinking about this made me admire her even more. I was scared shitless to even think about trying a real relationship with her, and she had actually said it out loud that she was in love with me. She was way ahead of me on this one. She might not look powerful in a physical way, but her mind had the strength of a bull. My phone shattered the silence. It was Tank.

"Yo. How was lunch?"

"Fantastic, best lunch ever."

"You took your time."

"Good things can't be rushed." Mmm, not sure we were talking about food here.

"So, how was your lunch," Tank asked. Ehm… ongoing?

"Fine."

"Steph left yet?"

"Yes."

"You okay?"

"Yes." There was a small silence after that. Tank knew that I wasn't telling him everything and I was contemplating letting him know what was going on.

"I need your advice," I told him.

"I'll be up in 5."

"How do you know that Lula isn't a … danger to you?" I didn't know how to formulate it otherwise.

"Danger?" His eyebrows rose and his tone was careful.

"You two are very close. She could… you know… I mean, we piss people off on a regular basis. They could use her to get to you." His whole attitude changed and shouted 'angry!' now. Tank looked at me for a long time, and in the end I looked away.

"You have something to say?" His voice was very cool. Shit, this didn't go as planned.

"What are you implying, Ranger? That she is just faking it?" He was standing very close now, and I was about 1 second away from getting my ass kicked, cast or no cast. I held up my left hand and took a step back and looked out of the window.

"No, no. Sorry. I meant: how do you know when it is safe to… to… love someone?" Tank was quiet for a moment and I could feel the atmosphere loosen up again.

"What brought this on?"

"Stephanie."

"Of course." Tank chuckled. This time it was me who turned around with an angry look.

"Hey, no offence man, but she is the only one that can make you think about these topics." Suppose he was right. I looked out of the window again.

"She said it was decision time: either we try a relationship or we don't." I looked at Tank again, and he nodded in understanding.

"So what did you say?"

"I didn't say anything yet, she gave me 1 hour to think about it before I tell her my decision." Tank whistled softly.

"She is serious," he stated.

"Oh, she is serious alright. She made it clear that it is either a full on relationship or no relationship."

"So, do YOU want a relationship with her?" I thought about that for a while.

"Yeah, I suppose I do."

"Then why the hesitation?"

"Because…" I stopped there. Because I was scared, basically.

"Do you really think that Stephanie would use you?" Tank sounded incredulous.

"No, of course not." I looked angry at Tank again. Tank was quiet for a while and then realisation dawned in his eyes.

"You are afraid that having a relationship with her makes YOU vulnerable," he said. I looked out of the window again. Awfully close to the truth. The silence stretched.

"Jezus Ranger, that's bullshit and you know it. You put the word on the street that she was yours before she married Morelli. That didn't kill her nor did it kill you." I started to say something but he continued.

"I know that she attracted some attention when you were FTA and then there is the whole Scrog episode, but she survived all that. She WANTED to help you, and she knew of the dangers. She isn't stupid, Ranger. She is a bounty hunter herself, remember! So stop using that excuse. You're just scared shitless that you get your heart broken." He knew he was right, and so did I. I looked at him again.

"Aren't you?" I asked him.

"With Lula?" he asked. I nodded.

"Sure, but right now that woman makes me feel better than I've ever felt. I love her and she loves me. That's all I need to know for now." I nodded again.

"Life is all about taking risks, Ranger. You might be able to control the risks at work, but this isn't about some job that you can plan. This is about LIVING your life. You either go for it or you don't. Stephanie has done some serious thinking about this apparently, and she is willing to take that risk. Don't forget, she puts her heart on the line here as well, she takes the risk as well. So you either dive in and hope that you can swim, or you stay on shore. Safe, but dry. There is no in between." I grimaced at the metaphor. He gave me a slap on my shoulder and turned to leave. When he was at the door he turned around and softly spoke for the last time.

"Ranger, nothing in the world can replace the feeling that you get when you know that someone truly loves you." He gave me one last serious look and then closed the door behind him. I turned to look outside the window once more and found I was hugging myself, longing for someone else's arms around me. So this was it, decision time.

Stephanie POV

I drove around aimlessly until my car found its way to the mall. Why not. I got out and wandered around Macy's but nothing caught my eye. I glanced at my watch. Another 45 minutes to go. Sigh. I walked in and out of stores, trying to get my mind to focus on something, anything really, other than Ranger and his decision. I wandered into Victoria's Secret and looked at their new collection. Immediately I had hot images flashing in my mind, imagining which sets Ranger would like and how he would respond to me wearing them. It was nice to think about that, it distracted me and this might be the only hour in my life that I could ever have those thoughts and know that there was a possibility that they might become a reality.

"Can I help you?" a nice looking assistant said, shaking me out of my daydreaming and x-rated thoughts.

"Uhm… No, thanks" I gave her a sad smile and left the store. I walked on and decided to find some food. But when I was standing in front of different fast food chains represented in the mall, I realised I wasn't hungry. In the end I settled on a coke, just to have something do hold in my hands and stop from fidgeting. Never new an hour could take so long. I found a table that had a newspaper on it, and looked at my watch. Another 24 minutes to go. I flicked through the paper, until I suddenly found myself staring at a picture of Ranger. I almost choked on my coke and quickly put it down. The picture took up about ¼ of the page and was taken somewhere outside. It didn't look like Ranger had known that the picture was taken, it looked like it had been taken from a distance with a good camera. It showed him from the chest up, wearing a black tight sleeveless black shirt and mirrored shades covering his eyes. I felt myself licking my lips. The photographer had been standing a little to his left, but had waited until Ranger had turned his head to that side. God, this man was attractive.

It took some effort to take my eyes of the picture and to find out what the reason was that Ranger was in the newspaper. I checked the front of the paper to see which paper I was actually reading. New York Times! Wow, Ranger had made it into the New York Times. Okay, not on the front page, but still. Despite my exploding cars I had never made it past the local papers. I read the text under the picture. _Carlos Manoso, owner of Rangeman._ Mmm, nothing new. There was one other smaller picture of a person that I didn't know either with the text 'John DeLucci alias the Snowman' under it. Then I looked at the title of the article. _NYPD arrests 'the Snowman'_. That didn't mean much to me, so I started reading the article. Turns out 'the Snowman' was the 'nickname' of a large drug dealer that was believed to supply large amounts of cocaine to an extensive dealer network operating in NY and surrounding areas. According to the article their sources told them that _'Mr. Manoso and his security company Rangeman had been of great help to the NYPD during the investigation. The information they gathered had been instrumental in securing a warrant for the Snowman's arrest and Mr. Manoso himself had been present during the arrest._' Present… That probably meant he had done the takedown himself, because Ranger didn't strike me as the type to just be 'present'. Apparently the NYPD didn't want to say anything about the role that Ranger and Rangeman had played during the investigation, which didn't surprise me. The journalist had added a paragraph in which he described Rangeman and its activities, or at least the ones that he had found out about. The article ended that he had asked Ranger to comment on the takedown, but apparently _'Mr. Manoso didn't wish to comment'_. Imagine that conversation.

"We heard that you and your company contributed to this investigation. Could you explain the role that you and your company played?"

"No."

"No comments at all?"

"No."

"Can you confirm your role in the takedown?"

"No."

"You weren't present during the takedown?"

"No comment."

"So you were present during the takedown?"

"No comment."

"Could you perhaps elaborate on your role in this investigation?"

"No."

"Is there anything that you would like to say?" Exasperated tone here.

"No." Dial tone.

I smiled to myself and wondered how close it was to the truth. I also wondered how Ranger would feel about having his picture in the NY Times. He didn't strike me as the guy who wanted to be in the spotlight. And considering the 'no comments' from both him and the NYPD, it didn't seem like they had wanted his role to become known to the larger public. I would have to ask him about that. What can I say, it's not that I'm curious, but I just like to know everything. I looked at the front again, and saw that the paper actually was quite old, from 3 weeks ago. I wondered who would have kept this paper for 3 weeks and why, but realised there could be 100 reasons for that. A glance at my watch told me that it was actually time to go back to Rangeman, and to hear what Rangers answer was. On impulse I took the paper with me and went back to my car. The drive back felt like it took too long and was still too short. I wanted to know the answer, but dreaded it all the same. When I pulled up to the gate, it opened. I was glad, because I didn't want to call control to open the gate, and I didn't really want to call Ranger before I knew the answer. I parked in the same spot again and when the elevator doors opened, I got on. Indeed, the elevator went straight up to the 7th floor. The door was open again, and I had an incredible déjà vu feeling. This was how lunch had begun, just 2.5 hours ago. I went into the apartment and closed the door behind me. I turned around and walked into the living room. After 1 step I stopped. Ranger was standing in front of the large window, his back to me. He slowly turned around and looked at me. I couldn't get any vibe from him, good or bad so I just stayed where I was.

"Have a seat," he said while he gestured to the couch. But I shook my head 'no'. If he didn't want a relationship I wanted to leave immediately and I didn't want to be close to him. I wanted the answer, right here, right now.

"Yes or no, Ranger?" I whispered.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30a: Yes or No? **

**WARNING: Possible tearjerker. Bare with me and wait for 30 b and c to explain the whole situation. :)  
**

**Stephanie POV**

When he took a step closer I halted him by putting up my hands and whispered:

"Just tell me, Ranger." I couldn't stand looking at him anymore, I didn't want to see the guilt or sympathy in his eyes if he turned me down, so I closed my eyes and hung my head, my whole body vibrating with anticipation. I heard some rustling of his clothing and knew that he was getting ready to answer me. Say yes, say yes, say yes. PLEASE SAY YES. I kept repeating this in my head when I heard his voice. It stopped my heart.

"I can't." My heart started again with the feeling like I just had had an enormous blow to my chest. NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

"Not now. Later…" I had started running to the front door as soon as the first words left his lips and I didn't stick around to find out what might come after 'later'. I had made it perfectly clear that there wasn't going to be a later. This was it, or as it turned out, this wasn't it. The elevator was still at the 7th floor for which I was extremely grateful. I got on and pressed the button for the garage. I felt so empty and hollow that I didn't know what I wanted to do first. Cry, scream, faint. Any of the above… All of the above. I felt a sob built itself up from deep inside me and I put my hands in front of my mouth to keep it from coming out. I felt the first tears running down my cheeks and willed the elevator to go faster. The pain was more intense than I had ever imagined, it was almost paralyzing. I vaguely remember getting in the car and some cars honking on the way to my apartment. Tears leaking down my face… elevator… my apartment… my bed… my pillow… crying… screaming… soothing blackness… Seems my body had chosen for 'all of the above'.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 30b: Yes or No? .**

**WARNING: LIFE IS UNFAIR,… **oh, and some language

**Ranger POV**

I looked at her standing there. I could see the unshed tears in her eyes if I would turn her down and the insecurity about my answer. It was heartbreaking to see. I took a step in her direction, but she held up her hands, indicating me to stay where I was.

"Just tell me, Ranger." Another whisper. She closed her eyes and hung her head. She had put up all her defences to take the blow if I would say 'no'. No physical contact, no eye contact, exit nearby. And looking at her standing there, I felt my love for her grow. She had done the gutsiest thing that somebody can do. She put her heart on a plate and offered it to me to chop it into two broken pieces or to take it and embrace it. I might have done some dangerous things in my time, but never something like this. I was about to answer her when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Without thinking I flipped it open and listened. Control was asking me if I could come down to help with something.

"I can't…" Ram objected, but I interrupted him.

"Not now. Later," and ended the conversation. When I closed the phone again and looked up, Steph was gone. I looked around the apartment, until it registered what I had said. She hadn't been looking at me… she hadn't seen the phone...

I ran to my computer to look at the cameras to see where she was, while at the same time I tried to dial the control room to tell them to keep her here, at all costs. Fuck! I'm not left handed and the phone fell from my fingers… Finally I managed to get the elevator camera on screen… Empty. No, no, NO! I picked up the phone and tried again while I used my right hand to key in the commands for the garage camera... At the same time that control picked up I got the images from the garage... Her car was gone while the gate was slowly rolling down, locking with a firm click...

The phone slipped from my fingers and I slowly sank to the floor. I was paralysed, no training had prepared me for this. The pain was incredible and I felt like I couldn't breathe. How could I have been so stupid? Why had I answered that stupid phone?

It took a moment before I realised that it was me who was screaming.

She was gone.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 30C: Yes or NO?**

** First things have to get worse, before they get better...**

**Tanks POV **

I was in the control room, trying to solve a problem. I had asked Ram to call Ranger, but Ram reported that he wasn't coming. Then I realized that Stephanie was still with him and that he was right now answering the most important question of his life. Suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed and I heard Lester and Bobby take in sharp breaths. I looked up to see them staring at the monitors. I looked at the monitor and saw Stephanie standing in the elevator, white as snow. She was pushing both her hands to her mouth and tears were rolling down her cheeks. Wordlessly we followed her on the camera in the garage as she got into her car and sped out of the garage. Did just happen what I thought just happened? It was eerily quiet in the control room, the men were waiting for a clue from me on what was going on, when the phone rang. Ram looked at it and said:

"It's the boss." I quickly answered it. It was silent for just a moment and then I heard Ranger take in a ragged breath. Then some hard 'thonk' sounds, as if the phone had fallen to the floor. Quiet again. And then the most gut wrenching scream I have ever heard. It was so loud that Bobby and Lester, who were standing close by me, looked up in horror. What the hell was going on here?

When I saw the images of Stephanie leaving in tears I had assumed that the stupid bastard had been too afraid to say yes to a relationship. But that scream… That scream sounded like a man who just lost the love of his life. Sounded like he realized that he had let go of the one love of his life. Life is hard and despite the fact that I was pissed at him for saying no to Stephanie, he really needed a friend right now. I ended the connection and screamed at Lester that he was in charge while I walked from the control room to the elevator. Bobby ran after me and we met up while I was waiting for the elevator.

"You're going to Ranger?" he asked. I nodded.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know."

"Do you need help?" I realized that Bobby might think that Ranger called for backup because there was a security problem.

"No, you help Lester fix this problem. Ranger and I will be offline until further notice." He nodded and I got on the elevator. I had no idea what to expect, but I was prepared for the worst.

When I exited the elevator I saw that the door to his apartment was closed. I used my keys to get in and carefully opened the door. I called out to Ranger, but there was no response. I drew my weapon and slowly walked into the hall. There were some sort of choking sounds coming from the living room, and I sped up. He wasn't killing himself, was he? I took another step and then I saw him. He was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall next to the large window. His knees pulled up to his chest, his right arm laying in his lap, his left on top of his knees. His head was laying on top of his left arm and his breathing was ragged. I quickly scanned the rest of the apartment while keeping an eye on him and when I was sure that nobody else was there I walked back to Ranger. I wasn't sure what to say, because I had no idea what happened in the first place. I knelt down about 3 feet away from Ranger and waited. After about a minute he suddenly looked up at me.

"She's gone, Tank." He was looking desperate, his eyes full of unshed tears. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and he whispered:

"She's really gone." His hands went up and covered his face. He slowly shook his head and dropped it down again, his arms on his knees, his hands still over his face.

"What happened?"

"It doesn't matter anymore, she's gone… SHE IS GONE!" He jumped up and hit the wall with the side of his fists, preventing injury this time. He wasn't wearing his sling, I had spotted it near his computer. He turned and was now facing the wall, throwing both his arms above his head and once more hitting the wall with the sides of his fists. It was a move made in pure exasperation, there wasn't a lot of power behind it. Then he slowly leaned forward until his head touched the wall as well and he just stood there. Arms above his head, hands still fisted, forehead leaning against the wall and shoulders slumped.

"What happened, Ranger?" I asked again. He took a deep breath and turned around, letting his hands fall to his sides. He looked at me with complete despair but said nothing.

"What did you say?" I tried again. At that he gave a sarcastic snort and let his head fall back against the wall. I still didn't understand him. She had asked him a straight forward question. His answer could either be yes or no. It looked like he had said no, but he was acting like she left HIM. It didn't make sense. I decided to take a guess, to get a response from Ranger.

"From the way she looked on her way out, I'd say you chickened out. You said no to a relationship and she left. And now you're surprised that that hurts?" It was harsh, but it was the truth. All the time before Morelli, he had played with her and pushed her, but never really letting her get close. But I was convinced that in his dreams he had married her. Then she married Morelli and it broke his heart. He had backed off and she had almost disappeared from his life. Now she was back and available, but not up for playing. And he somehow had decided he didn't want to get serious, despite the fact that he was obviously crazy about her. I wouldn't be surprised if he had dreamed already that they were together again, but today she closed that door because HE chose to, and now he suddenly realized what he had lost. You can't make a bigger mistake in your life. But I wasn't going to sit here and hold his hand while he cried. I had expected him to want to say something about how it was all for the best and all, and I would have nodded and given him a friendly clap on the shoulder and we would have gone downstairs to fix the problem, maybe get shit faced tonight after work. But he made a decision and he should take it like a man. He said no, he knew the consequences. Deal with it.

Ranger still had his eyes closed.

"I don't understand this. YOU told her to leave, and she did. For once in your life you were presented with a very clear choice when it came to her. You've made your choice, now deal with it, man!"


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 31: planning and plotting

Warning: language

I swallowed hard after Tanks' harsh words. I realized just in time that he didn't know what had happened and that stopped me from killing him right there and then. I looked up at him and saw him watching me with angry eyes. I took a deep breath and stared straight ahead in space.

"You don't understand," I said softly.

"What's not to understand?" he asked.

"She left before I had a chance to tell her my choice." I looked at Tank again, seeing the words register and the confusion kick in.

"How do you mean?" he asked. I sighed again, and ran my left hand through my hair.

"I need a drink," I said. Tank turned around and got 2 Corona's from the fridge. I dropped on the couch and he took the chair. He gave me a Corona and I accepted it gratefully. I took a big swig before explaining Tank what had happened. When I finished he sat back in his chair with a dazed look.

"That sucks, man."

"Yeah."

"But why didn't you go after her?"

"First I didn't understand what had happened, and when I did she had already left the building."

"But after that?"

"I'm afraid she'll never listen or believe me. I'm afraid she'll think that I changed my mind because I didn't want to hurt her, or because I was afraid to be alone or something like that. I first need to convince her that I had always intended to say yes to her. Remember, she never heard or saw the phone. She'll just think I want to explain my decision, and understandably doesn't want to listen to that." Tank nodded at that.

"And I lost my brain for a few minutes when I realized what had happened," I added with a half-hearted chuckle.

"Do you remember calling Control?" Tank asked.

"I remember trying. Why?"

"I answered that call, and when you screamed I thought you were trying to kill yourself. Lester and Bobby stood near me, so they heard it as well. When I went upstairs Bobby asked if I needed backup. He must have thought that somebody tried to kill you or something." Tank ran his hand through his hair, relieve showing on his face. I snickered.

"But now we need a plan to convince the Bombshell that this was an incredibly cruel misunderstanding," Tank said. I nodded. Tank started the planning.  
"Let's see. First we need to…" I got paper and pen from my desk and Tank and I spend the rest of the day planning this mission. We checked with control and they had managed to solve the problem all by themselves like the big boys that they were and we sent Bobby over to Steph's apartment to make sure that she was there and wasn't killing herself. Bobby reported back after 30 minutes that the light was on in her apartment and that he had heard some sort of crying noises coming from inside. It broke my heart, but at least I knew where she was and I wasn't planning on letting her go out of my sight anymore, figuratively speaking of course, after this whole misunderstanding was cleared up. We told Bobby to stay put and wait for further instructions while Tank and I went on a quick shopping spree to get the necessary supplies.

We had decided to keep the plan as simple as possible. Tank and Alex, a guy whom Steph never met, would break into her apartment and kidnap her after she went to bed. They would blindfold her and only Alex would talk to her. Tank would keep quiet to minimize Steph's resistance. Believe it or not, we thought she might fight harder if she thought they came to bring her to me than if she didn't know who was taking her. I hated it that I would scare her, but in the end thought she would prefer it to stunning or drugging her. I did tell Tank that if he really thought that there was no other way, to stun her. Then they would drive her to my house. Not the 7th floor apartment, but my real house. It was situated on the outside of Trenton, on a large plot surrounded by trees. It would take them about 40 minutes to get her there and they would put her in a chair in my living room and then they would leave. I would then proceed to play the phone conversation that I had had with Ram, the one she so misinterpreted. I have never been more grateful for the fact that we tape all calls at Rangeman. It was the only proof I had to show her that I had not been talking about her question when I said those words. I would play the recording for her, which she no doubt would recognize instantly, and then I would take off the blindfold and tell her my real answer to her question. I didn't have a lot things planned for after that, but I did stock up on Tastycakes, chocolate and Cheez doodles in addition to fresh fruit and whipped cream. Okay, those last items were bought with some x-rated images in my mind, but still. Tank would take Rex with him to the office and take care of him until we returned. Since I can do a lot of paperwork, phone calls and research from home and I still have a cast on my right arm, I intended to spend a fair amount of time with her there. Luckily I hadn't been home since I'd broken my wrist, so that place was still very tidy. Lester would drive me to my house and help me get everything ready there. I wanted the house to look good. So Tank had helped me pick out a few things that he thought might help with that, like candles and flowers. Then he had added massage oil and bath salts with a knowing smile as well. When he had stretched out his arm to grab the bottle of massage oil, I had spotted some bruising on his wrists.

"What happened to your wrist?" I recognized those bruises, I had seen them often enough on wrists. Tank looked at his wrist and then he blushed! Whoa! I couldn't believe it. Hang on, these bruises hadn't been there this morning and he had only left the building to meet up with Lula. I grabbed his other wrist and saw the similar bruises there as well.

"You did something to piss Lula off?" I asked, while trying to hide my amusement. I had a pretty good idea what the answer would be. Tank just looked at me with the biggest shit eating grin imaginable.

"You should try it sometime, Ranger." I had wondered about it, but never found a woman that I trusted enough to try it with. But since that was about to change…

"That good, huh?" I asked him. He just nodded. Hmm, something to keep in mind for later.

When Lester and I were finished with the preparations in my house, I felt myself starting to get nervous. I knew that they on their way over here now, so this was it. Lester wished me good luck and left and I took another look around my living room. The candles really did give it a nice warm glow, as did the fireplace. Then I heard the security system beep. They were at the gates. I opened the gates for them and walked to the front door and opened it. I saw the car approach on the driveway and when they stopped, Tank got out and closed the door behind him again.

"How'd go?"

"Man, that wasn't as easy as we thought. I really thought for a moment I had to stun her." Tank was smiling at the memory.

"She went on about rude men were and how tired she was of them and so on. She basically kept up a running commentary all the way over here."

"That's my Babe. Do you think she suspects something?"

"No, she said that it was rude to kidnap her now, since she wasn't due to start work until Monday." I almost laughed out loud after that.

"Okay. Bring her inside." Tank nodded and motioned to Alex to get her out. Alex got out and opened her door and pulled her out. She was saying something and then she suddenly stopped and stood still, tension radiating off her. She turned her blindfolded head unerringly in my direction. Oh shit. Then she took a few steps backwards before Alex caught up with her and stopped her by grabbing her arm. She started resisting him, trying to pull loose from his grip while screaming out loud.

"No, NO WAY! Fuck you, Ranger! How DARE you! Let me go! You bastard!"


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 32: Welcome to the Batcave

One minute I'm crying my eyes out, the next I'm fast asleep and in a third I'm being kidnapped! I remember waking up, thinking that something was wrong when I saw a strange man in my bedroom. When he saw that I was coming awake he was on me in a minute and before I knew it, my hands were tied behind my back and something was placed over my eyes. I had only seen his face for a split second, but I didn't know who it was. Since I had just been away for months, I was trying to dig deep as to why I was being kidnapped. At least I knew for sure that Ranger wouldn't come to my rescue this time. And he wouldn't be the one kidnapping me, either. I felt really alone. I felt tears forming themselves again and to make sure I wouldn't start crying again, I called out to my kidnapper.

"Who are you and what do you want?" No answer.

"Hey, at least you could tell me who you are!" No answer came. I could hear him moving around my bedroom.

"What are you doing? Are you searching my apartment? Well, good luck." Still nothing.

"Why are you kidnapping me anyway? I haven't caught an FTA in months, so if you have a grudge or something, why don't you wait until Monday. I'm going back to work then, and since you have been waiting for so long, you could wait a few more days, right?" I thought I heard a snicker at that, but nothing else.

"Come on, say something. Maybe I can help you find whatever it is that you're trying to find." I heard a drawer open and then it was quiet for a moment. He had found my underwear.

"Hey, get your grubby hands out of my underwear." Some more movement and the drawer was closed again.

"Thanks. Jeez."

I was surprised that I wasn't more afraid, but I suppose that all the emotions from this afternoon had left me feeling numb. I didn't really care that much at this moment about what would happen. The man I loved had just told me that he didn't want a relationship with me, so everything felt minor in comparison to that. Suddenly I felt the bed tip and he grabbed my arm, pulling me off the bed. I had fallen asleep with my clothes still on, so at least he had saved me some embarrassment. He sat me on the side of the bed and I felt him putting shoes on my feet. Finally some of my survival instinct kicked in. If he was putting my shoes on, that meant that his face and other body parts were in reach of my feet. I waited until I had one shoe on and he was just fumbling with the second. Then I swung my foot with shoe forward as hard as I could. I was rewarded with a shout of pain. I heard him fall to the floor and kicked out again, this time hearing a grunt. Two kicks, two hits! I started to scoot to the other side of the bed when I heard the door to my bedroom open. Shit, there's more than one. I was put back in the middle of the bed again by strong arms and a solid squeeze from the hands on my upper arms told me to stay put. I heard rustling of clothing as number 1 was probably trying to get up again. He was still grunting and taking shallow breaths, so I think I hit home. The bed tipped again when somebody sat down on it, and my left food was grabbed and pulled forward. My leg was now stretched, so I couldn't kick really hard now. The shoe was put on, and I was pulled off the bed and walked to my living room. A jacket was draped over my shoulders, covering my hands behind my back.

"Are you going to take me somewhere?" Nothing, only thing I could hear were people walking around the apartment.

"Do you have any idea how rude this is?"

"God, men! What is it with you guys? Can't ask a woman if they want to go somewhere? You just do the whole caveman routine, why don't you?"

"Did I hurt you back there? I did, didn't I? Well, you deserved it!" Okay, so maybe it isn't very smart to bait your kidnappers, but this whole quiet routine was getting on my nerves. We were now moving towards the door. Suddenly I felt somebody close to me and a voice in my ear said in a dangerous tone:

"You scream or cause trouble, I'll stun you." I felt a stun gun being pressed against my arm under the jacket and I jumped a little. I swallowed and nodded.

"Good girl. Now walk nice and slow." We were walking down the stairs and I was thinking hard about this situation. I felt that I had to do something to try to escape, it is never good to let yourself be transported to god knows where by god knows who. So when we were walking on the parking lot I was stalling a little bit and was about to make a break for it, when the same voice in my ear said:

"Don't even think about it." Gulp. I was put in the backseat of a car and I heard the locks click shut. Shit, shit, shit. This had to be the worst day of my life.

Meanwhile, outside the car…

"Are you okay?" Tank couldn't help but grin. This was so typical for Stephanie. She had attacked at the moment that Alex hadn't expected it and had been distracted.

"Yeah, I'm good." But the grimace on his face and the way he was still holding on to his left shoulder told Tank otherwise.

"Where did she kick you?"

"Shoulder and back."

"Get it checked out when we get back." Alex nodded.

"She must be something special, you know, for the boss to do all this."

"Yeah, she is one in a million. You hurt her, you better hide." Alex nodded again, understanding the implication.

"Good, let's go," Tank said, glad that his message had been understood. When Stephanie had kicked Alex, he had been afraid for a moment that Alex' response would have been to hit back, because they were trained to do so. Luckily Alex had enough self control and understanding of the situation that he had walked away for a moment to calm down. Still, Tank thought it was wise to let him know how important it was that Stephanie was unharmed, for his own health.

They got into the car and immediately Steph started talking again.

"So, where are you guys taking me? Are we going somewhere interesting?"

"This just isn't done, kidnapping me and blindfolding me. Who do you think you are?"

"Can't you take off this blindfold? I mean, I've got my hands tied behind my back, what can I do? I'll be real good, I promise." So good that I'll memorize your faces and describe them in detail to the police, Steph thought, but she thought it was better to keep that part to herself. And she would really like to see where they were going. They had been driving for over 10 minutes now and she had no idea where they were. She continued asking questions, trying to coax a reaction from her kidnappers, but they stayed eerily silent. She didn't get a particularly threatening vibe from them, but it was clear that they were in charge and had the situation completely under control. She tried every which way she knew to get them to either untie her hands or take off the blindfold or even just to get them to speak to her. Her last resort was to offer them sex, not that she intended to follow up on that one, but still.

"How about this? Why don't you guys pull over and we can get to know each other a little better, you know," she said in a suggestive voice.

"A little bit more… intimate," she added in a sensual whisper. She leaned forward until she felt the back of the seat in front of her, and then moved a bit to the side to where she expected the ear of one of her kidnappers would be.

"Mmmm, you smell nice," she softly said in his ear. He shifted and the temperature in the car seemed to rise a few degrees.

"I bet you have a really big…" At that moment the kidnapper in front seemed to develop an immediate throat infection, because he started coughing loudly.

"Be quiet," was the somewhat strangulated sounding command.

"Suit yourself, but you don't know what you are missing out on. I mean…"

"QUIET!" She smiled. At least she had managed to make her kidnappers feel uneasy. Not long after that they stopped for a moment, and then slowly drove on. She suspected they were on a driveway because of the sound of gravel under the wheels and their sudden slow speed. She heard one of the kidnappers get out and strained her ears to see if she could hear anything. She heard nothing except for breathing from the other kidnapper and herself. Then the other kidnapper got out and then her door was opened.

"Are you finally going to tell where we are?" she asked. The door was closed behind her and then she suddenly felt a familiar feeling. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she felt herself shiver. She turned her head a little and knew that HE was there, watching her. Her first thought was 'no, please tell me this is not happening'. She knew that tingle, that feeling. She knew that there was only one man who could do that to her. The one man that didn't want her, the one man that she loved. The one person she ABSOLUTELY didn't want to see for the next 6 months or so. She took a few steps back to get some sort of distance between them, but was soon grabbed again by a strong hand. No, no, NO! She was NOT doing this, she was NOT. She started to struggle in earnest for the first time this night. She could feel that whoever it was that was holding her made an effort not to hurt her, but she knew there was no way she could escape him. She screamed in frustration, anger and pain.

"No, NO WAY! Fuck you, Ranger! How DARE you! Let me go! You bastard!"

She struggled some more until she felt completely empty inside.

TANK POV

When Steph suddenly stopped and turned her head in Ranger's direction, I was almost fascinated. She knew he was there! And I suddenly remembered yesterday, when she had returned. Ranger had known it too before he had seen her. Wow, they had such a strong connection between them that they could actually feel each others presence. But Steph started to run away, and when Alex grabbed her, she started to resist. I could see that Alex did his very best to restrain her without hurting her. I looked at Ranger and saw a very pained look in his eyes. Suddenly he turned and walked into the house. Guess it was too painful for him to watch. Steph struggled on for a little while and then slowly stopped, her whole body looking drained. We really needed to get this misunderstanding cleared up soon or it'll kill them both. I motioned to Alex to walk Stephanie into the house and to continue with the original plan. When they walked past me, I could hear Steph crying and saw a tear running over her cheek from underneath the blindfold. I felt a little tug in my heart. We all liked this woman, she was something else entirely. And I have never seen Ricardo love a woman like he loves her. He regularly lost his cool when it came to her. But they made a stunning couple, they were a match made in heaven, and to see both of them go through so much pain, even though it was about to end, was painful to watch even for me.

When we came into the living room, I looked around. Ranger had outdone himself with this one. Large candles were burning all around the room and the fire was lit. The 3 bouquets of roses that we had bought were standing in 3 vases; on the coffee table, on the floor and on the dining table. It looked homey and romantic, at least to me. Alex put Stephanie in the chair standing in front of the fireplace and looked at me for further instructions. I signaled him to go outside and wait for me there. I turned to see Ranger leaning against the dinner table, looking at Stephanie with dilated eyes. Oh, he loved her all right. The love for her and the pain to see her in this shape were both clearly visible on his face. His left hand was gripping the table behind him, knuckles white. I raised my eyebrows at him, silently asking if it was okay for me to leave. He only returned a blank stare. Guess he lost his brain again. I decided to take matters in my own hands, somebody needed to help these people, and fast. I walked over to Steph and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little but didn't respond otherwise. Another tear dripped of her chin. I bent forward until my face was next to hers.

"Steph?" She pulled her head up at the sound.

"Tank?"

"Yeah."

"Listen to me, please?" I asked her softly.

"I don't want to hear it, Tank." She sounded tired.

"Yes, you do. Believe me," I added with some emphasis.

"Fine, whatever."

"I have a tape that I want you to listen to. Promise me you'll listen carefully. If you still want to leave after you've heard the tape, I'll take you home." While I said this I put up a hand to stop Ranger, because I knew he would want to respond to my 'addition' to the plan. I had realized that it wasn't fair and probably unwise to leave them alone right now. They were both supercharged with emotions and Steph had no idea where she was. It was only fair that I offered her a way out if she really wanted to.

I just prayed that she didn't want to use it, because Ranger would kill me.

After he tortured me for say… 5 decades?

"Promise me, Steph" I gently urged her.

"Fine, I promise." She shrugged.

I grabbed the little mp3 player of the table and pressed play. Voices filled the room.

_"Ram here. We've got a situation. Can you come down?"_

_"I can't."_

_"But Tank asked me to…"  
"Not now. Later." Dial tone. _

As soon as Steph heard the first words of Ranger, she tensed up. When she heard his second answer, she went completely rigid.

"Oh god," she gasped. I played the recording one more time, to make sure she understood what she had just heard and then put the little device back on the table and walked around her chair and started to free her hands while softly speaking to her, hoping to answer any questions that might go through her mind right now and take away any doubt she might experience.

"You didn't hear his phone because it didn't ring, it vibrated." She gave a small gasp in understanding.

"You didn't see the phone because you had your eyes closed." She gave a small nod, remembering it.

"He didn't come after you at first because he didn't understand what had happened." Another nod.

"He didn't come after you later because he couldn't think anymore." Another tear dripped of her chin, and she gave a small nod.

"We came up with this plan because we didn't think you would listen otherwise." A sad smile crossed her face and then she gave another small nod.

"You've never heard his answer to your question." She gasped again, realizing now the full impact of this conversation.

"Oh my god, I didn't." She sat up straight now, her mind going into overdrive to process all this information and the implications.

"Do you want to stay and hear his answer, Steph?" I asked softly. I could see that Ranger had almost stopped breathing. She tensed up and for a horrifying moment I thought she was going to say 'no'. But then she nodded.

"Yes," she whispered, hope and fear clearly audible. Her hands, now free, were grabbing the side of the chair and her knuckles turned white. I placed my hands on her shoulders to offer her some form support.

The tension in the room was unbelievable. Steph sat in her chair, slightly bend forward, her blindfold still on, her hands holding the chair in a death grip. Ranger was standing at the table, knuckles white and eyes closed with relief. I looked at him and he opened his eyes again. Then he looked at Stephanie with the most loving look I've ever seen on anybody's face.

"Yes," he said softly. Steph shot up in her chair, her head turning to the sound of his voice to her side.

"My answer is and always has been 'yes', Babe. I would love nothing more than to share my life with you." Stephanie clapped both her hands over her mouth and the sound that came out was something between a sob and a laugh. I slowly untied the blindfold and whispered in her ear.

"Welcome to the Batcave, Stephanie."


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 33:

When Tank played the tape for the first time, I immediately realized what I was hearing. This was what I had heard this afternoon, or at least Ranger's side of this conversation. My mind dazzled, and I was glad that Tank played it another time, so I had some time to absorb this information. Then, when Tank softly started talking to me, it became completely clear to me what had happened this afternoon. And also what that meant, namely that I hadn't heard Ranger's answer to my question. When Tank asked me if I wanted to stay and hear his answer, a small part of me wanted to say 'no', to protect myself from more disappointment. But soon I realized that I needed to hear his answer, positive or negative and when I thought about it, I didn't think that Ranger would go through all this trouble, just to tell me no again. I felt my hope grow, but even though my hands were untied now, I couldn't get myself to take off the blindfold yet. I couldn't look at Ranger until I knew his answer. It felt comfortable to have Tanks hands on my shoulders and he gave me a little squeeze. I just felt so tense, I felt like I was frozen in place and time. It seemed like an eternity, but then I heard his voice from beside me.

"Yes." I shot up. My head was full of turmoil, I couldn't believe it. He had said yes, he DID want a relationship! He softly continued.

"My answer is and always has been 'yes', Babe. I would love nothing more than to share my life with you." All the relief and happiness and emotions that I felt came out in one whoosh, that sounded something like a sob and laugh. I felt Tank untie the blindfold and while he slowly pulled the blindfold away from my eyes, I heard him whisper.

"Welcome to the Batcave, Stephanie."

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the lighting and then I saw him. He was leaning against a table, his whole body radiating emotion and relief. His eyes were dilated black and full of emotion too. Our eyes met and the next second I was up and in his arms. I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face deep in his neck, feeling happiness flowing through me. His left arm came around my shoulders, drawing me close to him and he buried his head in my hair. All the hurt and pain from this afternoon left me with two last tears that leaked out of my eyes.

"I really thought I lost you this afternoon," Ranger whispered hoarsely in my hair.

"Me too," I whispered back, and squeezed him tighter, reveling in the feeling of holding him in my arms.

"I'll never let you go again, Babe." His voice had gotten a playful tone to it, and I withdrew my head to look at his face to see what he was up to.

"Remember, the Batcave is forever," and he gave me the most dazzling smile. I looked around me and realized for the first time that I must be in the Batcave. I smiled back at Ranger and our lips met for a slow and sensual kiss.

"Wouldn't want it any other way, Ranger," I said and we kissed some more. He was still wearing his sling, and his right arm was wedged between our bodies. I looked at his cast.

"You never told me what happened." The moment I said it, I could feel him tense up a little. For a fraction of a second I could see a conflict going on in his head before he put on his blank face and opened his mouth to answer me.

"Accident." Yeah right… I felt that there was more to this story. I started kissing his neck until I reached his ear and then gently bit his earlobe. I could feel his body react.

"There is more and I know it. Trust me, Ranger. Tell me," I whispered in his ear and then went on with giving his neck little kisses, licks and bites. I heard his sharp intake of breath and knew I was doing something right.

"I hit a wall." His breath came out in a whoosh, while he was turning his head to the side to give me better access. I nibbled across his jaw and continued.

"How did that happen?" Kiss, nibble, kiss, lick. Another shuddering breath from Ranger.

"I was upset." I kissed my way to the other side of his neck, and he moved his head to accommodate me.

"What were you upset about?" I took his other earlobe in my mouth and sucked on it.

"Babe…" he moaned, trying to resist answering me. I scraped my teeth over his earlobe while I let it escape from my mouth and moved on to the area where his neck and shoulder met.

"Tell me, Ranger," I whispered and sucked some flesh into my mouth, gently holding it between my teeth and stopped moving, letting him know that I would continue my delicious torture if he would answer my question. I could feel him resisting for a moment and then felt his body relax and give in to me. I loved this. Ranger could probably hold up through countless forms of torture, but he had no resistance against this type of interrogation.

"I got your card." The answer startled me and in a reflex I bit down. I heard his sharp intake of breath and relaxed my jaw again. Oops! I felt a guilty feeling surge through me. I felt responsible now for the damage to his hand. If I hadn't sent that card Ranger wouldn't be wearing this cast. What had he said again? Broken wrist and two cracked bones? Shit. But Ranger pulled back and with his left hand he raised my face up to meet his steady gaze.

"It was an accident, it's not your fault. If it was anybodies fault, it was mine. I should watch what I hit." Mmm, well… I suppose so then. Our lips met for a kiss and I cuddled closer to him. I could feel him wanting to move the right arm, but being stopped by the sling. He pulled back.

"I do hate wearing this sling though, it limits me," he said, the sexy undertone indicating what he was really talking about.

I gave him a sexy look and said in my most suggestive voice:

"Then why don't you let me do the work."

"Ahem," Tank coughed. Oops, I had completely forgotten that Tank was still here. I turned around and Ranger pulled me back against him, his front to my back. I leaned into him while smiling at Tank.

"Thank you… for everything," I said seriously.

"You're welcome, Bombshell." Tank looked at Ranger, and a wordless conversation happened between them, ending with a smile from both of them while they looked at me. Right.

"There is a bag with some clothes for you in the hall. I'll be leaving now, some people actually have work to do." He smirked at us and we all walked to the door. I waved when he drove off and then turned to Ranger.

"So this is the Batcave, huh?" He nodded.

"Want to explore?" Oh yeah!

"Come on." Ranger grabbed my hand and walked me back into the living room. The house looked like a cabin. Lots of wood and lots of glass. It gave it a very warm and open feeling, very homey.

"I got it about 2 years ago. The apartment is nice, but I'm never really away from work there. So I had started looking for houses. I wanted something with some land around it, but not too far from the city. After about a year I found this. The house was already there, but it had been neglected and was in need of a lot of modernizing. The garden looked like a forest. For one summer I spend all my free time doing it up. I had some people helping me fitting the new kitchen and bathroom and so on, but all the cleaning, sanding, painting and decorating I did myself." I nodded and looked around. There was a wooden floor throughout the first floor. The living room was open plan and looked very spacious because of the glass. There was a large L shaped couch in a dark blue color with some big pillows on it and a low coffee table. Behind it there was a large open book case, shaped like a big square and then divided into smaller squares. Some shelves contained books, others had pictures or small objects. I looked at the pictures and saw that there were a few of Ranger with different groups of men around him that were obviously from his army time. Young men in army clothes, army haircut and army weapons. They looked dangerous and mighty attractive. Also there were pictures of what looked like family members and one of him and his daughter together and to my surprise there was one of us together as well. It looked like Ranger was pointing something out to me and we were both smiling. My back to his front, one arm around me, our heads close to each other and his other arm stretched out, pointing. I looked at Ranger and he answered my unspoken question.

"Lester made it. He was following a particular person and I had ordered him to take pictures of all other persons that this particular person met with to see if we could identify anybody, when he saw us. It was the first time that he had seen me together with a woman for a long time and he took the picture to ask the guys about you. But he had forgotten about it, so he had added all the pictures to the file that we were going to discuss in a meeting without looking at them again. Imagine my surprise when one moment I am looking at pictures of a suspicious meeting and the next this picture shows up on the projector for all my men to see. Lester earned himself a month of night shifts and I told him to delete the file from the computer network, but the damage was done. It didn't take long for them to figure out who you were and what my feelings for you were. I've never seen the picture again at Rangeman, but I did keep a copy for myself." He smiled and then gestured at the little objects on the shelves.

"Those are gifts from people I met and souvenirs I bought at places that I visited, either during my time in the army or later in life."

"Where are they from?" I asked.

"All over the world, really. Africa, Asia, Europe, South America. I spent quite some time abroad during my army years and used some of my holidays to travel." I nodded and looked further around the room. There was a nice wood burning fire place and a large dinner table with 6 chairs around it. I walked on and looked at the kitchen. It was done in a sort of modern country style and looked very nice. Ranger grabbed my hand and pulled into the hall again. He opened one door to reveal an office with lots of high tech equipment, computers, a few monitors showing the grounds around the house, printer, phone and fax. There was a desk and a small round table with 4 chairs around it. He steered me out of the room again and then pointed to the only other door on the first floor.

"Toilet." Then he proceeded to walk up the stairs and I followed him. When we came to the top of the stairs I grasped. The stairs were ending about halfway on one side of the room under the roof. The bedroom opened right off the top of the stairs. Because of the sloping roof it felt very cozy. Thick carpet on the floor in a deep brown. To my left, the whole front of the room was glass and gave a beautiful view of the garden. No other house was visible. The bed was positioned in front of the windows so that you could look outside. A few low chests with drawers were standing along the walls on both sides and a side table on each side of the bed. I looked to my right and saw that there was a custom made closet standing at a right angle that made a sort of wall separating the part of the room that contained the bed and the space in front of it. The cupboard came to halfway across the room and had a triangular shape because of the roof. Everything was done in dark brown wood and bright blue sheets were on the bed, giving the room a warm and intimate feeling. A chair was standing about a meter in front of it, on the side of the room and a t-shirt was laying on top of it. This was his dressing area. There was a door in the wall to the right of to the stairs and I opened it to find a modern bathroom in black and white. Again, the side of the room was made of glass, overlooking the garden. There was an expensive looking shower with lots of shower heads and other gadgets on the left side. I guessed it also was a steam cabin. The large tub was positioned in front of the window and had lots of jets. A toilet was on the other side of the door. Black and white towels on a design radiator and a thick robe on a hook in the wall. Very nice, very Ranger. Overall, the house gave a feeling of warmth and relaxation. Modern, comfortable and personal. I turned around and put my arms around his neck, giving him a quick kiss on his lips.

"Do you like it?" Ranger asked me.

"I love it, this is really you." He smiled and we kissed some more.

"Come on, let's go back downstairs." Ranger gently guided me down the stairs again. When we entered the living room again, I noticed the candles and flowers. Very romantic, very nice. We snuggled up on the couch and were silent for a moment, still coming to terms with the emotional rollercoaster that was today. I looked at Ranger and leaned in for a long and deep kiss. After we pulled apart I whispered the only thing went through my mind right now.

"I love you." Ranger's eyes widened a little bit and then the happiest smile spread across his face.

"I love you too."

We spend almost a week at the house before emerging again. Steph made good on her promise 'to do all the work' because of the cast, but Ranger liked to think that he wasn't doing so bad himself anyway. Still, he couldn't wait to have full use of his right hand again…

TBC


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 34: Songs, feelings and memories from the past that come to haunt you...

Warning: smut.

_**2 months later… **_

I'm at my house and I've got a little surprise for her. She went out to go to the mall, but she doesn't know that I am back early from a business trip to Boston and did some shopping of my own. I know that she is back because the security system beeps when she is at the gate. She realizes something is up when there is a note stuck on the door.

_Surprise in the bedroom _

She runs up and squeals with delight when she finds the dress that I bought her. There's a note next to it.

_Prepare yourself for a night out and put this on and then go downstairs_

A quick shower and hair/make up session and 45 minutes she is standing in the living room, reading the next note.

_Go to the garage_

She finds me there, leaning against the Porsche Turbo, in tuxedo. We take our time leaving the garage to go to the club. It's a club that plays sexy jazzy and Latin songs. I'm a big fan of this type of music, I like the emotion in it. After our first drink, I nod to the owner and soon the song that I want her to hear is being played. I pull her in my arms and whisper 'listen to the words. I love you.' We slowly dance closely together, looking deep into her eyes to show her I mean it.

_You are the tiger burning bright  
Deep in the forest of my night  
You are the one who keeps me strong in this world _

She might not always realise it, but she helps me to go on. When I think that a day is utter crap, I think of her and I find new energy. __

You sleep by the silent cooling streams  
Down in the darkness of my dreams  
All of my life I never knew  
You were the dream I'd see come true  
You are the tiger burning bright 

She is my dream come true. There really are no other words for it. __

I was the one who looked so hard I could not see.  
Now I could never live without the love you give to me. 

I know I lived without her for years, but now that we are together, I don't think I could live on if anything happened to her. She makes me feel human and loved. __

I lived like a wild and lonely soul,  
Lost in a dream beyond control.  
You were the one who brought me home down to earth. 

She doesn't know half of the things that I have done to complete a mission or even just to survive. But now that is all in the past, I have left that behind to be with her.

_  
For you are the tiger burning bright  
Deep in the forest of my night  
All of my life I never knew  
You were the dream I'd see come true  
You are the tiger burning bright_

After the song is over she gives me a deep kiss and whispers 'thank you. I love you too. Now wait here.' And I see her talking to the owner and soon hear the intro of a jazzy song. I realize that he is the same singer as in the song I heard in the plane so many months ago, when I thought I had lost her for good. However, this song is quite different. Stephanie comes back to me and pulls me close. She whispers in my ear 'this is how you make me feel,' and then kisses me. The song starts slow, but soon turns into a sexy, jazzy song. I listen to the lyrics and soon a smile spreads over both our faces while we dance together.

_Birds flying high  
You know how I feel  
Sun in the sky  
You know how I feel  
Breeze driftin' on by  
You know how I feel  
It's a new dawn  
It's a new day  
It's a new life  
For me  
And I'm feeling good_

I like the lyrics and Steph is positively sparkling tonight. Lots of things have changed for her as well in the last 6 months, and I'm glad that it makes her feel good. That I make her feel good.

_  
Fish in the sea  
You know how I feel  
River running free  
You know how I feel  
Blossom on a tree  
You know how I feel  
It's a new dawn  
It's a new day  
It's a new life  
For me  
And I'm feeling good_

She moves with a sexy ease that catches the eyes of every man in the club. Still, she only has eyes for me. She sparkles just for me. And I feel very proud.

_  
Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know  
Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean  
Sleep in peace when day is done  
That's what I mean  
And this old world is a new world  
And a bold world  
For me_

I suppose being with me was the biggest gamble of her life, because she left life as she knew it behind. So did I. But it has only improved our lives.

_  
Stars when you shine  
You know how I feel  
Scent of the pine  
You know how I feel  
Oh freedom is mine  
And I know how I feel  
It's a new dawn  
It's a new day  
It's a new life  
For me_

And I'm feeling good

After that song we go back to our table to have another drink and chat, but after a while I suddenly remember another song that I like and I also associated with Stephanie. I make my request and pull her with me to the dance floor. Soon our hips are swinging with the Latin rhythm. Steph is a very good dancer and when she recognizes the words, she gives me a dangerous smile and then grinds her hips to me, making me feel I'm about to explode. She is drop dead gorgeous and very attractive. And sexy as hell.

_She's into superstitions black cats and voodoo dolls.  
I feel a premonition that girl's gonna make me fall.  
She's into new sensations new kicks in the candle light.  
She's got a new addiction for every day and night._

I fell for her, hard. Right from the day we met. __

She'll make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain.  
She'll make you live her crazy life but she'll take away your pain  
like a bullet to your brain. Come On! 

She is better than any painkiller or drug I ever had. __

Upside, inside out she's livin la vida loca  
She'll push and pull you down, livin la vida loca  
Her lips are devil red and her skin's the color mocha  
She will wear you out livin la vida loca Come On!  
Livin la vida loca, Come on!   
She's livin la vida loca. 

Her life is not standard, and it's dangerous. But it's hers and she wants to live it that way. __

Woke up in New York City in a funky cheap hotel  
She took my heart and she took my money  
she must've slipped me a sleeping pill  
She never drinks the water and makes you order French Champagne  
Once you've had a taste of her you'll never be the same  
Yeah, she'll make you go insane. 

After our one night together, I was hooked. I know I sent her back to Morelli, but that was because I was afraid of the strength of my own feelings.__

Upside, inside out she's livin la vida loca  
She'll push and pull you down, livin la vida loca  
Her lips are devil red and her skin's the color mocha  
She will wear you out livin la vida loca Come On!  
Livin la vida loca, Come on!  
She's livin la vida loca.

She'll make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain.  
She'll make you live her crazy life  
but she'll take away your pain like a bullet to your brain. Come On!

She's made me do some crazy stuff she doesn't even know about. The guys were laughing their asses off when they found out who had me running in circles. __

Upside, inside out she's livin la vida loca  
She'll push and pull you down, livin la vida loca  
Her lips are devil red and her skin's the color mocha  
She will wear you out livin la vida loca Come On!   
Livin la vida loca, Come on!  
She's livin la vida loca.

After 4 minutes of this 'torture' I can see she is reviewing songs in her mind and I see her eyes lit up when she remembers one that she wants me to hear. She almost runs to the owner to organize it. I almost laugh out loud when I hear which one she has picked. I have seen the movie and know she is playing with my ego. Which is big enough to take it, mind you.

_One eye on the shadows, protecting his fellows,  
From sun up till the moon on his back.  
Send the villains to Hades, a hit with the ladies  
a stallion, in the sack._

She licks her lips after that last line and I feel good about myself. The lovemaking is phenomenal. __

You can't get your life back, when right follows left Jack,  
The more you see, the less you know.  
When others would leak it, his service is secret.  
Plays God when it's your time to go.

I've always wondered if she knew how close that last line was to the truth not that long ago…

_  
Queen and country safe and sound, with villains six feet under ground.  
And no one knows cause no ones found any trace of a man for all seasons.  
Loves 'em and leaves 'em alone...so alone  
And you and I wouldn't have a clue, whose doing what, why, when and who, up the creek with no canoe,  
watch out for the man for all seasons, loves 'em and leaves 'em alone...so alone (but safe at home)_

From the House of Lords saving Norfolk broads,  
Commoners and land a gentry.  
His word is Bond with a brunette or blonde, baby it's so elementary.  
For the man never ends, stop your life with one stare,  
See the film you'll know how it goes  
This ain't no fiction, just check the diction, with pro quo, a pro's pro.

Glad to see she thought I ranked right up there with James Bond and the likes! __

Hey fellas, don't be jealous, when they made him they broke the mould. So charismatic, with an automatic,  
Never prematurely shooting his load.

Queen and country safe and sound, with villains six feet under ground.  
And no one knows cause no one's found any trace of a man for all seasons.  
Loves 'em and leaves 'em alone...alone  
And you and I wouldn't have a clue whose doing what, why when and who, up the creek with no canoe,  
watch out for the man for all seasons, loves 'em and leaves 'em alone...so alone (but safe at home)

I do like to know that she is somewhere safe when I leave the house for a takedown. It's one less worry, I suppose. __

But safe at home X6

Queen and country safe and sound, with villains six feet under ground.  
And no one knows cause no ones found any trace of a man for all seasons.   
Loves 'em and leaves 'em alone...alone  
And you and I wouldn't have a clue whose doing what, why when and who, up the creek with no canoe,  
watch out for the man for all seasons, loves 'em and leaves 'em alone...so alone (but safe at home) 

I have to get even for that one, and while we are having another drink, I'm trying hard to think of a good song. Suddenly I know a good one. I give her a sexy look and walk over to Javier, the owner and good friend of mine, to put in my request. We walk to the dance floor again, and I think we are both having x-rated thoughts as soon as this song starts.

_Spy on me baby use satellite  
Infrared to see me move through the night  
Aim gonna fire shoot me right  
I'm gonna like the way you fight_

Now you found the secret code I use  
to wash away my lonely blues  
So I can't deny or lie cause you're  
the only one to make me fly.

Chorus:  
Sexbomb Sexbomb you're a Sexbomb  
You can give it to me, when I need to come along  
Sexbomb sexbomb you're my sexbomb  
And baby you can turn me on.

No don't get me wrong ain't gonna do you no harm (no)  
This bomb's for lovin' and you can shoot it far  
I'm your main target come and help me ignite  
Love struck holding you tight.

Make me explode although you know  
the route to go to sex me slow  
And yes, I must react to claims of those  
who say that you are not all that.

2x Chorus:

(Break)  
You can give me more and more counting up the score  
You can turn me upside down and inside out  
You can make me feel the real deal  
And I can give it to you any time because you're mine

Chorus:  
Sexbomb Sexbomb you're a Sexbomb  
You can give it to me, when I need to be turned on

Sexbomb Sexbomb you're my Sexbomb  
And baby you can turn me on. 8x

A lot of the people in the club and the entire staff has realized what is going on by now, and they are loving every moment of it. They are watching Steph to see how she will 'retaliate' after my last song. It's getting late and Javier approaches us to tell Steph that if she wants to request another song, she'll have to do it soon so they can play it as the last song before closing. I can see her mind going into overdrive and then she jumps up and runs over to Javier to give him the last song for tonight. I can see he is smiling at her request and seems to agree with her choice. He asks her something and she looks at him in surprise. Javier looks at me and then to Steph again and seems to try to convince her about something. Steph looks at me again, eyes liquid with desire and then seems to agree with him. He gives her a quick hug and she comes back to our table, smiling. After the current song has ended, Javier gives Steph a nod and we move to the dance floor again. The staff and some of the guests are laughing and cheering at Steph, saying 'you go, girl'. It seems to me that they know which song she requested, and I'm getting even more curious now. Steph gets this devilish look in her eyes and I know I'm in deep trouble, but only of the good kind. Javier grabs the microphone and walks on the little stage in front of the dance floor that is used for live performances.

"Ladies and gentleman, the next song will be the last song for tonight. Now, as all of you have noticed, Carlos and Stephanie here have been playing songs for each other all night. This last song is a song that Stephanie requested, so I would like to ask her and Carlos to come on stage. Everybody else, I'd say grab your partner and enjoy this last song for tonight. I thank you for coming, hope you had a great night and see you again soon." He clicks off the microphone and sets a chair up on the stage. Stephanie is dragging me to the stage and we climb on it. She pushes me in the chair and then Javier hands her a black hat that she puts on. It looks really good on her. She is wearing her hair up tonight, and the hat adds a touch of masculinity that is very attractive. I swallow and try to relax. I see a lot of men looking at her with desire in their eyes and feel a surge of pride and possession going through me. Yep guys, she is stunning and sexy and she's going home with ME.

As soon as I hear the first notes, I recognize the song. She gives me a sexy smile and starts dancing around me, hips moving suggestively. I can't do anything but looking at her in admiration. She is amazing and I love her completely.

_Baby  
take_ _off your coat  
real slow.  
Take off your shoes  
I'U. take off your shoes.  
Baby  
take off your dress  
yes  
yes  
yes.  
You can leave your hat on -  
You can leave your hat on -  
You can leave your hat on.  
Go on over there  
turn on the light  
no  
all the lights._

Steph is still dancing in front of me, but when I make a move to get up, she puts her hand on my chest and pushes me back down. I groan. It's going to take all my self control not to jump her right here, right now. No matter who is watching. She turns her back to me, and leans forward, her fine ass at eye level. I reach out to touch her, but she moves away from me with a stern look. No touching. She is torturing me and enjoying every minute of it. She knows exactly how much I like to touch. Then, slowly she bends her knees, swaying hips side to side and parks her lovely behind on my lap. My hands rest on her hips, but she grabs them and leans backwards, hanging my hands behind the chair. Another firm look. Really no touching, really torturing me. I know I will find it hard to keep my hands to myself and I clasp them together behind the chair to restrain myself. Then she starts to move and oh my god do I think I will explode. But every time I think I'm going to come, she will stop for just a few seconds. She knows my body well enough already to keep me on the edge, but not allowing me to go over. I lean my head back and swallow, taking deep breaths to calm myself down a little. Oh, who am I kidding, nothing but a dive in an ice bath will cool me off.

_  
Come over here  
stand on that chair  
yeah  
that's right.  
Raise your arms in the air  
now shake 'em.  
you give me reason to live - you give me reason to live -  
you give me reason to live - you give me reason to live._

Suddenly she is up again, turns and then puts her right foot on the chair, in between my legs. She is wearing super sexy black high heeled FMP's as Steph calls them. I look at her foot so close to my throbbing desire and swallow. The visual is very powerful. She moves her hands under her short dress and I'm going nuts wondering what she is doing. Then I see the top of her stocking. She is rolling it down, slowly, centimeter by centimeter. I swallow painfully. When it is halfway on her thigh she nods to me and I gently roll it all the way down. I take off her shoe and pull it off completely, then showing it to the crowd. Lots of cheers from the men. She puts her other foot between my legs and gently presses down with the tip of her shoe on my bulging pants. I grasp and let my head fall back. I open my eyes and look up at her face. She is so in control of this situation it almost scares me. You can put me in a war and I'll never feel overwhelmed. But add Stephanie to this equation and I feel like a school kid again. Good thing none of my men are here, because they would never be able to see Steph again without a hard on. After her nod I gently roll down her second stocking and show it to the crowd. More cheers. She presses her left food firmly between my legs before sliding it back in her shoes. I bite my lip to make sure I won't grab her.

_  
Sweet darling - you can leave your hat on -  
You can leave your hat on  
baby - you can leave your hat on -  
You can leave your hat on - you can leave your hat on -  
You can leave your hat on._

She walks to the back of the chair and grabs my hands, pulling them behind the chair again. Her hands slide down my front while she kisses my neck. I take in a shuddering breath, fighting the urge to touch her. Suddenly a woman from the crowd calls out loud:

"The guys got the stockings, now we girls want something too!" Steph looks her way and then tips the black hat that she is still wearing, indicating her agreement. Uh oh!

"Babe," I half groan, half growl.

"The lady is right, Ranger," she whispers in my ear and then starts to undo my bow tie. She holds it up to the crowd and the women cheer and shouting 'more, more'. Slowly, her hands slide under my jacket and she starts pushing it down. I lean forward a bit, so she can get it off completely. She shows it to the crowd and more cheers. Probably all the men whished they were in my seat and all the women whished they were in Steph's shoes, undressing me.

_  
Suspicious minds are talkin'  
they're tryin' to tear us apart !  
They don't believe that it is love of mine -  
They don't know what love is - they don't know what love is -  
They don't know what love is - they don't know what love is -  
I know what love is !_

She looks at the woman who made the comment earlier on, and mouths 'more?' with a wicked grin because she can guess the answer and the woman nods enthusiastically, cheering and clapping. I can see Javier standing to the side, smiling broadly. Seems he likes to see me in this position for once. He has seen me with many women in my days, but usually they were all over me when I wasn't interested beyond sex. I suppose this is my payback for all those broken hearts I left. And let's face it, best payback I ever had. She is kissing my neck again, her arms over my shoulders and her fingers prying loose the buttons of my shirt, starting at the top one. The crowd gets louder with every button she opens, exposing more and more skin. Finally she gets to the last one, and she slowly slides it off my shoulders, her hands feeling hot on my skin. On one hand I never want this to end, she is so incredibly sexy! But on the other hand I want this to end because my control has limits and I am getting very close to those limits. I'm afraid I might come right here on the stage if this goes on for much longer. My heart is beating wildly in my chest and I feel sweat forming itself on my forehead.

_  
There ain't no way - you can leave your hat on -  
You can leave your hat on - you can leave your hat on -  
Give me the reason to live - you can leave your hat on!_

Steph flashes a satisfied smile at the audience and struts to my front again. She puts her legs at either side of my legs, facing me, and grinds her hips to me while she looks me in the eyes and I know I have a whole night of delicious lovemaking ahead of me. She's just warming me up… More like frying me alive… Her dress rides up her legs and another grind and my breath hitches. Two more of those and I'll be going over the edge.

"Babe…" I meant to say it in a warning tone, but it comes out all husky and breathless. She grinds again and I can feel myself being on the verge. One more and I'll finally get some release. I almost will her to move, but she stops again, leaving me trembling with desire and frustration. The audience is forgotten when our eyes meet again. Her eyes are large and deep blue. There is so much love in them that I fall in love all over again with her. She slowly moves one hand from my shoulder down over my chest and abs and my eyes follow that hand with desire. I lean forward and our lips touch in a deep and intimate kiss. God, how much I want her. How much I need her!

"Later, Ranger," she chuckles in my ear while trailing kisses alongside my jaw and my neck. She bites me in the shoulder and I can't suppress a shiver. I am sooo ready for her I'm afraid I'll come before we even get started. Finally the song comes to an end and the crowd cheers and applauds for our little show. Me, I just can't wait to get out of here. I grab our clothes and give them to Stephanie. She grabs them and then I grab her, lifting her in my arms. I look at the audience and smile:

"We'll be going now," and I jump down from the stage. The people let us through, laughing and applauding, while I quickly walk to the exit. My car is parked nearby and right now the only thing on my mind is to get home asap.

"In a hurry, Ranger?" Steph purrs with her mouth in my neck. When she bites me again I almost drop her. She knows how much I like that.

"Babe," is the only thing that I can get out of my mouth. We arrive at the Porsche and I put Steph in. Staying within the speed limits means we need about 20 minutes to drive back. I'm thinking today I will need half that amount of time.

Stephanie is looking at me and I can see her hand snaking down her dress. She knows I am watching her from the corner of my eye and slowly I see that hand sliding under her dress. Oh my god! She is playing with herself! When my right hand snakes out her husky voice fills the car.

"Nuh huh, Ranger. Remember, no touching." My hand hangs out in the air for a moment before I have enough will power to put it back on the steering wheel again. I grip the wheel in a death hold. It's the only way to keep me from pulling over the car and having my wicked way with her.

Steph POV

This night has been the best night ever, and it isn't over yet! I just love the way I can play with Ranger. I always thought that he had this unlimited control and everything, but since we are together I have found out that there are a few ways to break that control. And I happen to be very good at those ways! It is an incredibly sexy feeling. For some reason it empowers me and I dare to do much more than I had ever imagined. So while Ranger is driving home with record breaking speeds, a wicked idea pops into my head and I slowly move my hand down my dress. I can see him watching me from the corner of his eye, and smile inwardly. This will be one of those nights that we ruin each other for any other person on this world. When I tell him to remember the rules I can see him fighting for control. I have him on the edge alright! I slowly pull my dress up a little and let my fingers roam. I am just as turned on as he is, and I know it won't take long. It is evil to give myself some release and make him watch it, but I secretly suspect Ranger likes it that I push his limits. Must be a leftover from his army days. I moan a little and see his hands grip the wheel even firmer, his jaw muscles working hard. I am close now and I move my fingers a little faster. Oh yeah, this is really great. I feel the delicious feeling built up from deep inside me, taking over and filling my whole body. I gasp and moan out his name while my orgasm rips through my body. Ranger tries to watch the road between hot looks. His whole body is tense. By the time I am coming down to earth again, we are home. He drives the car in the garage and we both get out. Before I can turn around he is at my side, picking me up again and carrying me into the house and up to the bedroom. He strips my dress off me and tosses me on the bed while quickly stripping what is left over from his clothes off his body. He almost dives on me and we kiss frantically. I roll on top of him and start kissing his chest. He tries to pull me up, but I look at him and say:

"No touching, Ranger." He groans and drops back on the bed, his arms spread out, hands clawing at the sheets. A lesser man would have already said something along the lines of 'fuck the no touching' but Ranger is the type of man who will push himself to the limit. You remember, army and all. While I continue my trail of kisses down his chest and abdomen I can feel his muscles tremble in anticipation. I kiss the inside of his muscled thigh, and he jumps a little. His hands come up and I stop my movement. I watch his eyes and can actually see the fight going on in his head between giving in to his desire to grab me and fuck me senseless versus letting me continue my little torture without him touching me and then drops his arms to the bed again. I resume kissing his thigh, then moving up, low across his abdomen, coming close but just not touching him and then move to his other thigh. Ranger growls low in his throat.

"If this is going to take any longer you better tie me to the bed, Babe, because I can't control myself much longer." Hot desire pulses through me. I know he says this because he thinks it means that I will move up and let him come inside me, but he has actually planted in image in my mind that I want to see in real life. So my answer surprises him a little.

"Then I'd better cuff you, because I intend this to take much, much longer," I purr. I reach in the bedside table on my side and fish out 2 pairs of cuffs. Lula had hinted to me about amazing sex and cuffs, especially because it meant that the Merry Man for once didn't have the power. Not that any of them would actually abuse that physical power at any time, but seeing them UNABLE to use it was something else entirely. At least that's what Lula said. I had thought about it and liked the idea, so I had put 2 pairs of cuffs in the drawer of the table on my side, but so far the right moment to try it hadn't come up yet. Tonight, however, was perfect. There is only one possibility with our current bed, and that is to cuff his hands together and then to use a second pair of cuffs to attach them to the bed. I first attach a handcuff to the bed and attach the other end of it to the chain between the second pair. Ranger seems so surprised that he lets me move his arms above his head without protest when I grab them. Then I click the second pair around his wrists. The cold metal on his wrists seem to make him realize what's going on, because he tries to move his arms away and the cuffs stop him with a snap. For a split second I can see an emotion in his eyes that almost looks like fear and panic before he tries to put his blank face in place.

"Steph…" He sounds unsure. I have wondered if he would allow me to restrain him because Ranger is a man that is always in control and that likes to be in control. Sometimes I think he is so used to being in control that it scares him to relinquish the power to someone else. And there is something else. When he is cuffed to the bed, he won't be able to do much when something goes wrong. And this is a man who is so security conscious that nobody can get to any of his properties without at least being on camera. I suppose for Ranger it feels very unnatural to give up his freedom of movement when it isn't _necessary_ so to say. On the other hand I think that it will give him an even greater rush if he does, exactly because of that. And of course there is that little thing of me being extremely turned on by seeing Ranger loose control, in more ways than one. So I try to persuade him.

"Do you trust me, Ranger?" I ask him. He nods, but I can see his arms are still straining against the cuffs.

"Really trust me, Ranger?" He closes his eyes for a moment, takes a few deep breaths and then looks into my eyes. I try to show the love that I feel and after a long moment he slowly nods again, this time relaxing his arms a bit.

Ranger POV

When she grabs the cuffs from the bedside table I'm very surprised. My mind immediately goes back to Tanks words a few weeks ago: 'it is so good, you should try it'. Steph is attaching the cuffs to the bed while I'm still contemplating this issue. She grabs my arms and pulls them over my head and with a snap I feel the cold cuffs close around my wrists. Whoa, hang on! I pull away, but the cuffs are already secured to the bed and I'm trapped. For a moment my worst nightmare flashes in front of my eyes, where a person that I love gets close to me before hurting me or killing me. It has happened before, and Steph knows nothing about that. It was one of the major reasons why I vowed never EVER to get close to anyone again…

I tell myself to calm down and that Stephanie isn't going to hurt me, but I feel very uncomfortable anyway.

"Do you trust me, Ranger?" she asks me. I nod, but the memories of the previous time I was in this position flash back and I feel panic deep inside me. The need to be free is overwhelming.

"Really trust me, Ranger?" she asks. Guess she's seen my discomfort. I close my eyes in an effort to calm myself and to get my mind to function again. I push the images from the last time I was in a position like this with cuffs on me to the back of my mind and take a few deep breaths. I'm not sure if I should tell Stephanie anything, maybe warn her about the possibility that I might freak because of memories of… I open my eyes, to make sure it is Stephanie who is in bed with me and not the woman in my nightmares. Steph is looking at me with large blue eyes, full of love and lust and I slowly relax a little. I do trust her and when she looks at me like that I can't refuse her anything, even if it scares the hell out of me. I slowly nod 'yes' and she gives me a smile that sends hot feelings through my body and I'm right back on the verge again.

"Then all you have to do is lay back and enjoy the ride," she whispers in my ear, softly kissing a pulsing vein in my neck.

I suppose I'm about to find out if it is really true that love, lust and a touch of fear combined give the best sex ever…

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The next chapter CAN be full of Ranger/Stephanie lovemaking, if you guys are interested that is… So let me know if you're in for some serious smut!

Songs used in chronological order:

- **KATIE MELUA: "Tiger In The Night"**

- **MICHAEL BUBLE: "Feeling Good"**

- **RICKY MARTIN: "Livin' la Vida Loca"**

- **ROBBIE WILLIAMS: "Man of all Seasons"**

- **TOM JONES: "Sexbomb"**

- **JOE COCKER: "You can leave your hat on"**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 35: Ties to the future and ties to the past

Thank you all for the lovely reviews! This is the last chapter before the epilogue! I hope this is what you Babes had in mind… ;)

WARNING: SMUT, HOT SMUT and BOILING HOT SMUT…

_"Then all you have to do is lay back and enjoy the ride," she whispers in my ear, softly kissing a pulsing vein in my neck. _

_I suppose I'm about to find out if it is really true that love, lust and a touch of fear combined give the best sex ever… _

Stephanie is sitting on top of me and is kissing me in the most soft and loving way ever. It makes me want to hold her, but instead my arms are over my head, far away from her lovely body. Slowly she kisses my eyelids and my forehead, moving along my cheek and I turn my head so I can capture her lips with mine, but she moves away.

"No need to be impatient, Ranger. We've got all night," she huskily whispers in my ear.

"Babe, I want to kiss you," I whisper urgently to her. She looks up at me and smiles.

"I know," she says in a sexy voice. There is no doubt about the fact that she is hugely turned on by seeing me restrained and it drives me nuts. She bends forward again, and I can feel her breasts touching my chest. She kisses my face some more and finally her lips rest on mine. I kiss her hungrily, my tongue sliding into her mouth to play with hers. She moans into my mouth and it sends a shiver through me. I want to feel her whole body and normally I would've flicked her over to cover her body with my own, but tonight I can't. I pull at the cuffs in frustration and they rattle against the iron bar that is in the middle of the headboard. Steph stops kissing me and lifts her head enough to look at my cuffed wrists.

"Getting frustrated, Ranger?" she teasingly asks. She looks at me with her face inches away from mine and I strain against the cuffs to pull myself up a little so I can kiss her again.

"Babe," is all I can groan.

Steph POV

When Ranger pulled at the cuffs, for a moment I was afraid that he would rip the whole bed apart, but luckily that didn't happen. In stead I got to admire his bulging muscles. I could feel his frustration, but to be honest, it only turned me on. Ranger loves to touch and normally he was able to turn us with one move, but tonight that wasn't going to happen. Time for the serious teasing to start!

"Getting frustrated, Ranger?" I'm not afraid of him, and since he can't retaliate right now, I'm not above baiting him. I know I am playing with fire, but I'm really looking forward to his retaliation! Besides, I'd like to think I'm doing him a favor by getting him all worked up. The better this experience will be. He pulls himself up and kisses me hungrily while groaning 'Babe'. I pull back and he flops back on the bed with a frustrated sigh. I resume kissing his ears, my teeth scraping his earlobe and feel his muscles jump in his stomach. More kissing down his neck and a little bite in his shoulder. His breathing is getting unstable, just the way I want it. I slowly kiss my way down his shoulder and suck on his nipple, causing him to shift and I move on to his other nipple. While I trail kisses and licks down his stomach I look up to watch him. His head is back, his eyes are closed and his arms are straining against the cuffs. He has actually pulled so hard that he moved up a bit, and now his hands are directly above his head. He can't move up anymore because of the headboard. I feel deep love and hot desire for this man pulse through me and I can feel myself getting wet. I kiss each ridge on his sixpack before moving further down and I can feel his muscles tremble in anticipation. I lick his belly button and move down to his groin area. He's biting his lower lip now and his hands are fisted. I kiss my way further down, just not touching him and then gently lick one of his balls. A sharp intake of breath is my answer and hot feeling shoot through my body.

"Do you like this, Ranger?" I suggestively ask him.

"Babe, don't stop, please," he moans back and I take it as a yes. I gently lick the other one as well and then move off to the inside of this thigh. Ranger moves his head up with an almost disbelieving look in his eyes.

"Babe, please, continue…" I smile a seductive smile at him.

"I am continuing this, Ranger, just not in the direction where you want it to go." I am bad, and loving every moment of it. A pleading look crosses his face before he drops himself back on the bed and I resume kissing his thigh. It is smooth, soft and very nicely shaped. It has one scar, from a bulletwound that he got when he helped me. My hands sneak up and my fingers start tracing little patters low on his stomach. He's hypersensitive by now and he immediately pulls his legs up in response.

"Aarrgh, Babe… you're killing me!" I push his legs back down and settle myself on them with my legs on the outside and my butt on his knees and continue my little torture. The cuffs once again rattle and hot desire pulses through me at the sound. I kiss the tip and he jumps, taking in a sharp breath in anticipation, but then I move over to his other thigh. He is moving his head slowly from side to side now, taking deep breaths to control himself, his teeth biting into his lower lip. Maybe I should give him some release… Slowly, of course, good things come to those who wait. I nibble my way back and lick his length in one long stroke.

"Babe…" he moans and his hips move off the bed for a second. I continue with little licks all over his pulsing desire and his breathing is positively ragged by now.

"Oh… god…" His voice is strained. His hands have grabbed a pillow and he squeezes it so hard his knuckles are white. Then, finally I take him into my mouth and wait for a second for him to relax a bit. But when he does, I suck and his breath comes out in a whoosh.

"Babe… Please… I'm so… close… Please," he pleads. My hand cups his balls and gently massages them while the other closes around him and I squeeze. Another ragged breath from Ranger. He doesn't know that I bought a book about sex techniques, but he is about to become my test person. I don't think he'll mind that much, do you? In the book I read that if you squeeze hard enough you can actually temporarily stop him from ejaculating and make his orgasm more intense and longer lasting. I was going to put that to the test. I slowly move my mouth up and down in long, deep movements while I massage him in the same slow speed. I can feel all his muscles tense and I know he is close. I stop again for a moment while he is still in my mouth and another rattle from the cuffs is my reward. I'm so hot for him by now I have to restrain myself not to climb on him and have our orgasm together.

"Don't stop, please! Continue…, Babe, please." Ranger is begging alright. I look at him and his eyes are completely black. He has pulled himself up again and his body just screams out 'ready'. I slowly let him fall out of my mouth and the look in Ranger's eyes turns to desperate.

"You want me to continue, Ranger?" I ask teasingly. I gently blow some air over him and he jumps.

"Please, Babe, please!" He almost growls now. This is Ranger on the edge.

"You want me to make you come?" I slowly move up his body until my face is hovering over his, but just out of his reach. I lower my body over his and trap his pulsing desire between our bodies. He is straining against the cuffs to reach me, but I just move back a bit.

"Yes... Please…" he growls. I move forward a bit, and our lips almost touch. His arms are shaking with effort to hold him up.

"To give you some release?" I kiss his lips and he tries to move up to claim my mouth with his, but I move back again. He growls in frustration.

"Babe, please… " I push on his shoulders and slowly I push him back down again. He is squirming now. With him still trapped between our bodies he tries to move against me, to get his release.

"Ranger, what are you doing?" I asked with a wicked grin.

"Babe… Please." These seem to be the only words he is able to say and I suppose I have teased him enough so I lean down and kiss his lips.

"I'll see what I can do." I kiss my way down his body again and then take him back into my mouth. A sigh escapes Rangers lips. My hands resume their original position again and I slowly suck him deep into my mouth.

"Yes… oh, yes…" Ranger moans. I start moving my head up and down, increasing the speed just a little. His muscles are trembling and his hands are fisting the pillow and I can feel the moment that his orgasm starts to build. My hand that is around him firmly grabs around his base and squeezes hard while I increase my speed a bit more.

"Oh… God… Yes… Faster… More… Please…" I can feel his muscles starting to convulse and I grip him a bit harder while increasing my speed again. The orgasm hits him hard.

"AAAaaarrrrhhhhggggg…" Ranger is squirming, the cuffs rattling and his whole body moving. I hold on to him as long as I dare before I loosen the grip my hand has on him and his breathing stops for a moment. Then I feel warm fluid in my mouth and I suck gently. His hips are bucking of the bed and his whole body is moving with the orgasm. I keep sucking and massaging him until he has come back to earth again and then slowly release him, kissing my way up to his face. He breathing is labored and his eyes are closed. A fine sheen of sweat covers his body and his face and chest look flush. I can see his heart beating wildly. He swallows and slowly opens his eyes. They are little black pools of satisfaction and I lean in for a soft but sensual kiss. I grab the pillow that he had in his hands earlier and gently lift his head up to put it under there. He sinks back down and looks at me with grateful eyes. He clears his throat before he is able to speak.

"Babe." It sounds soft, special and like he is amazed.

"Ranger." I stretch out beside him on my side and sling an arm and a leg over him. My head resting on his chest, my forehead against his neck.

"That was…" He seems lost for words.

"Yeah…" is all I can say.

"Could you unlock the cuffs now?"

"No, Ranger. I'm not finished with you yet," I purr into his ear. I feel a shiver going through him.

"You aren't?" He sounds torn between the prospect of more mindblowing sex versus being free again.

"No." As long as it is dark outside, I'm not done!

"There's more?" He sounds hopeful now. Seems he likes mindblowing sex.

"Oh yeah, Ranger. Lots more," I smile and look into his eyes. He is recovering already and his breathing is slowing down again to a normal rhythm.

"Babe," he moans.

"You bet, Ranger." I can see he is getting aroused again and I slowly climb on top of him on all fours, without touching him.

"So, you're ready for round two?" A slow smile spreads over his face and he gives a nod. I lean down and soon our tongues are battling together.

We kiss deeply and passionately and Ranger manages to get hold of a few curls so he can pull me down to him.

"Promise me you won't leave me," Ranger whispers between kisses.

"Ranger?" I ask. There is no doubt in my mind that this love is forever.

"Please, Babe, (kiss) promise me."

"I promise, Ranger."

"Promise me (kiss) you'll never cheat on me." I look at him and see he is very serious. The anger I felt at him asking that question disappears immediately. I have no idea what brought this on, but it seems very important to him.

"I promise, Ranger."

"Thank you," he whispers and I can feel him relax. His body relaxes, he deepens his kiss and when I run my hands through his hair he sighs a contented sigh. I pull back and hold his face between my hands, looking at him. This is the man I love, the man I want and the man who loves me. His face is the most beautiful I've ever seen and his heart is in the right place.

"I love you, Ranger."

"I love you, Babe," and we kiss some more. Slow, sensual kisses that change into hot, lusty kisses.

"Mmmm, my turn," I mumble between kisses. I sit up and Ranger looks almost sad at the loss of contact. At least until his eyes roam over my naked body and lust becomes evident in his eyes.

"You are so beautiful, Babe."

"Thank you, Ranger. So which part do you like best?... Would that be my hair?" I slowly lift my hair up and then let it fall back down again.

"Or do you like my breasts?" I whisper. My hands move down from my neck to my breasts, and I massage them. When I roll my nipples between my fingers I moan. I'm so hot I can't believe it myself. My head falls back for a moment. When I move back up again I watch Ranger and see his eyes are staring hotly at my hands playing with my breasts.

"Or maybe you like my legs?" I know Ranger loves my long legs. I sit on his hips and move my legs so I can stretch one out in front of me, in front of Rangers eyes. He breath catches when my foot trails through his hair, and down to his chest. He wants to touch and tries to pull his arms down, but the cuffs stop him again. I move my leg back again and shift against his hips, feeling him twitch.

"Oh, Babe. You're so hot…" he moans.

"What's my hottest part, Ranger?" I move my hands, caressing my legs slowly, moving upward.

"My thighs?" My hands move further up.

"Maybe my hips? Are my hips hot, Ranger?"

"Oh yeah…" he sighs, eyes liquid black, mesmerized by my hands.

"How about my…." I trail of suggestively and turn my ass towards him. I sway my hips a few times and look over my shoulder at the same time. Ranger licks his lips and his arms are bulging.

"Or," and I turn back again, straddling his hips while I sit on my knees, "do you think it is this?" and my hands slowly slide down my belly until they are finding my wet folds.

"I'm so wet for you, Ranger…" I say, while using one hand to open myself a bit and the second to touch myself. I'm so sensitive I almost come after my fingers makes one stroke. Ranger is staring at my hands, mesmerized.  
"I'm so ready, Ranger…" I moan, sliding one finger inside me.

"Babe… let me touch you… please…" He's moving frantically against the cuffs again.

"Watch me, Ranger," I moan. His eyes are on my fingers again.

"Watch me being wet for you… watch my fingers… sliding inside me… aaahhh… watch me play with myself…" I'm so hot for him, it is almost overwhelming. I'm going to within seconds. I open myself a bit more for him to see and then look at him. He is fighting the cuffs, his hands fisting the pillow again. I wait until he calms down a bit and looks at me.

"Watch me come for you, Ranger." And with that I move two fingers inside me while my thumb plays with my clit and I feel the orgasm starting to build immediately.

"Ooohhh… yes… yes… aaaaahhhhhh!" I scream when I'm going over the edge, my hips bucking and my hand moving frantically for as long as possible. Slowly the orgasm comes to an end, and I fall forward, bracing myself on my hands above Ranger's shoulders.

"Unlock me… please… I need to touch you…" I can see that his wrists show some marks from pulling the cuffs, and for a moment I really contemplate freeing him. But then I think of all the things I still have in store for him.

"Not yet, Ranger… " He looks desperate and frustrated and I know I have to give him something.

"But… I'll let you… taste me…"

"Yes… please… let me taste you." The wonderful thing for women is that they can have orgasm after orgasm and they don't a 'recovery period' like guys do. And since I was still boiling hot for him, I was ready for another orgasm.

"In a minute… you can taste me… but first…" I sit down on his rock hard penis and move my hips. I'm so ready that he could slide just in me, but that is not what I'm planning. I just move forwards and backwards, enjoying the sensation. So is Ranger, because his head falls back and he takes deep breaths, moaning.

"Keep moving, Babe… please." That means that he is getting closer to his orgasm and because I have other plans for his second orgasm I moved myself up his body and sit myself down on my knees, my wet folds hovering just above his face.  
"Want to taste me, Ranger?" I whisper.

"Yes…" He is already trying to lift himself again to be able to lick me. I grab the head of the bed with both hands and slowly lower myself until I can feel his tongue. A strong sensation shivers through me and I lower myself some more. Ranger's tongue moves around, licking me around my entrance and I whimper in anticipation.

"Yes, like that…" I moan.

"Mmmm, do you like this Babe?" Ranger asks between licking.

"Oh yes, Ranger…" He moves his tongue around my entrance and I shift to try to get him to move his tongue inside me.

"Please, Ranger…" I whimper. He dips his tongue inside me and my breath comes out in one whoosh.

"Yes… like that… Ranger, please." I move a bit so that his tongue is getting closer to my clit. He touches it with the tip of his tongue and then stops licking.

"Lick me, Ranger… Please." Despite the fact that he is tied up, Ranger has control now. I'm so close to an orgasm that I'm reduced to begging now.

"Babe…" he says in a sexy voice and I know there is an equally sexy smile on his face. He gives my clit one lick and my hips buck forward. Oh, I'm sooo close.

"More, Ranger… more... Please… I'm so close…" I moan. Rangers tongue is touching my clit again, and my muscles tremble in anticipation. I can feel him increasing the pressure on his tongue and my back arches involuntarily. Oh yes, this is going to be so good. Ranger licks and sucks a few more times and I feel the orgasm build up from deep inside me.

"Oh yes… yes… more…" Suddenly Rangers tongue is everywhere, doing delicious things and the orgasm crashes through me. It takes all my strength to keep my hips as still as possible so Ranger can continue his wonderful things and my hands are white knuckled from the effort on top of the headboard.

"AAAaaaaahhhhh!" I scream out loud, this orgasm being even more powerful that the one before. I don't know how long the orgasm lasts, but I feel dazed by the time it finally dies down. I slowly slide down his body again and stretch out on top of him, capturing his lips in a deep kiss.

"Thank you, Ranger."

"My pleasure. Now will you… please… let me out of the cuffs?" He puts on his most pleading face and my heart skips a beat. This guy is so beautiful it's almost unbelievable.

"Mmmm." I pretend I'm thinking about it, just to see how far he will go.

"My arms are tired and my shoulders are sore." He puts on his pouty face and I laugh.

"Aww, poor baby."

"Yes, and my wrists hurt." He puts on his best 'I'm wounded, help me' look and I almost melt on the spot.

"Ranger, are you telling me that the big, bad, Special Forces guy can't take it anymore?" I whisper in his ear. I'm bad and I know it. Ranger is a lot, but above all he is a masculine man. He is proud of his military achievements and the hard work that he has put his body through. And he will never ever let someone get away with calling him weak. I'm counting on it that that won't be any different this time.

"Aww, Babe! That's… that's… BAD." But his eyes are sparkling and he is smiling and I know I've won.

"I'll give you a massage to make it up to you..." I know Ranger loves to receive massages. It's one of the very few moments, apart from when we are making love, that he is able to let go of the responsibilities surrounding his business. The first time I gave him a massage he actually fell asleep. Granted, he was very tired that day, but it had surprised me anyway. After the first few minutes he will just slump and turn into mush basically. You can feel his muscles relaxing and no useful word comes out of him anymore. It is an amazing process to see, especially because of the big contrast with 'normal' Ranger, who is always prepared for anything. No need to tell you that I use this knowledge to my advantage…

"Mmmm, okay. But that better be a VERY LONG massage," he says.

"Of course, my darling," I say while giving him another kiss.

"Sooo… what did you have in mind for round three?" he asks in a low whisper.

"Why don't I show you?" I purr back. I can feel him twitch under me. He is ready for round three alright. I glance at the clock on my bedside table and see it is already past 3 am. Wow, we've been making love for almost 3 hours already. Time flies when you're having fun. But round three won't last that long, I think. We are both too hot for each other.

I slide down until his tip is at my entrance and he takes a sharp breath. So do I for that matter, the anticipation of finally feeling him inside me is sending shivers through my body.

"Are you ready for me, Ranger?" I ask him.

"Oh yeah, Babe." I slide further down and feel him slowly filling me, stretching me a little. We both take deep breaths and I moan.

"Mmmmhhhh." I just can't help it, it feels like a perfect fit. When he is inside me, I slowly sit up and slide down another few centimeters.

"Oh Babe, you feel so good," he sighs. I clench around him and his breathing hitches. I start moving in a very lazy and slow rhythm, hoping to make this feeling last as long as possible. He tries to move with me, but I stop. He pulls himself up and opens his eyes to look at me with heated eyes.

"Ranger, I told you to lay back and enjoy the ride, didn't I?" I ask playfully. He nods slowly.

"Then lay back and enjoy the ride." I push on his chest to get him to lay back down again and he slowly sinks back. I kiss his lips and then sit up again, resuming my slow rhythm again. My hands find their way to my breasts and start kneading them. I close my eyes and let my head fall back.

"Babe, you are so beautiful…" The cuffs rattle again and Ranger groans.

"I want to touch you so badly, Babe. To feel your firm breasts… and your sensual hips… and your sexy ass…" Lust surges through me and I lean back on my heels while I grind my hips to push him in me to the hilt.

"Oohh yeah... Mmmm… Ranger…" I moan breathlessly. I can't wait any longer. I can already feel a massive orgasm building and my whole body is ready for it. I sit up and place my hands on his chest, enjoying the feel of his soft skin and hard muscles under my hands, and start moving up and down with hard and decisive strokes. The rhythm isn't frantic or fast, but solid and delicious. Each stroke gets us closer to release, each grind builds up the tension, each movement radiates love and lust.

"Yeah, Babe… like that… yes… yes…" I can feel my walls clench around him and on the next stroke I feel myself going over into the promised land with his name on my lips.

"Ohhh… Raaannngggeerrrrr…" I keep moving and he follows me.

"Yeah… yeah… Baaaabbbeee." He can no longer hold still, and his hips move against me, driving him even deeper in me, bringing us to new heights. We keep moving until finally with the last bucking of his hips and clenching of my walls the orgasm ends. I feel utterly spend but extremely satisfied and when I take a look at Ranger I see he has the same feeling.

"Babe," is the only thing he says, his chest moving up and down in order to get his breathing under control again. I'm not doing much better. I caress his chest and suddenly see 4 scratch marks on each side of his chest. Oops.

"I seem to have scratched you…" I say. Ranger's head shoots up and he looks at his chest.

"Babe," he says, but it doesn't sound like he minds. More like he is proud… Men… I stretch out and kiss him.

"Shall I release you now?" I ask him.

"Yes." I reach into the drawer and pull out the keys. I first unlock the cuff that holds his hands above his head, and he moves his cuffed hands around me and pulls me to him with a contented sigh.  
"MMmm, finally I can feel you again," he murmurs while kissing me.

"I still need to uncuff your hands," I say, but he nods his head.

"Later, first I want to feel you." I lay in his arms and feel I'm home. I listen to his heartbeat, strong and steady and bury my head into his neck. Mmmm, this is the good life. Suddenly a question pops into my head.

"Did you ever do this before?" He looks at me.

"The cuffs, have you ever done that before?" I ask. And suddenly I can see the same panic and fear across his face that was there when he first realized that he was cuffed. His blank face slides in place and I am watching him carefully. Something has happened in his past that is related to cuffs or being tied down. I'm curious to see if he will in the end tell me about it. Ranger seems to be thinking and I let him. After a minute or so he cuts his eyes to me and looks me deep into my eyes. I look back at him, quietly waiting to see what he will do next.

"When I had just been accepted into the Special Forces, I met this woman," he started. I nodded at him, to encourage him to continue.

"I fell head over heels for her and we saw each other as often as my training would permit. She said she was an exchange student from Europe and was studying American culture or something. She had this small apartment where we would meet. Then one night we get some information for a mission and are being told we have 12 hours to prepare ourselves before we are shipped off. Officially we are not allowed to leave the base, but I manage to get away to meet up with her. Because I know this mission is dangerous, I want to see her before we leave. I realize I might not come back alive and I want to say goodbye to her. So she suggests we try something new, because this may be the last time we can have sex, and I agree to it. I was so riled up that I never saw any warning signs. She cuffed me, hands and feet, and then her whole attitude changed. She started… hurting… me. First I thought she just got carried away, and as a trained Special Forces guy I could cope with a lot, but then suddenly she starts asking questions about the mission. Questions that I am not allowed to answer and she knows that. Then she makes some calls in Russian and suddenly there are 2 more persons in the room and they demand the details for this mission. I tell them no, and tell her to untie me, but she just laughs at me. Turns out that the woman I thought I would spend the rest of my life with is KGB and has been playing me from day one." I gasp.

"Oh, Ranger! You must have felt so betrayed!"

"I felt betrayed, angry, stupid. You name it." He snorts and he gets a faraway look in his eyes, like he is going back to that time. I cuddle into him and his arms come up around me, and the cuffs around his wrists rattle.

"Let me get these off you." I wouldn't want Ranger to think that I wanted to hurt him or anything like that. I grab the key from the bedside table and free him. There are angry red circles around his wrists and I trace them with my finger, feeling guilty. I know so little about his past and I made him relive his worst nightmare. I shouldn't have surprised him like that. Ranger's ESP seems to be working, because his finger sneaks under my chin and he lifts it up to meet his eyes.

"Babe, you couldn't have known." I slowly nod, still feeling bad about it. I mean: the only thing I do know is that I know nothing about his past other than that it was wild and dangerous. I should've guessed that something like this might have happened. But Ranger doesn't agree.

"Besides," he continues in a more playful tone,

"This was the best therapy I could get to forget that incident." And he gives me the 1000 watt smile.

"So you liked it?" I ask cheekily. Like I need any confirmation…

"Oh, Babe, I loved it. That was amazing." Couldn't agree more.

I tug on his shoulder.

"Move over, I still owe you a massage."

"That's right," he says happily and flips over on his stomach. I grab the oil from his bedside table and poor some on my hands. I figure, after this night and the confession he just made, he deserves a good massage. And massaging someone with a body like Rangers is delicious. I slowly slide my oily hands up his back and back down again, distributing oil everywhere. Soon he is shiny with oil. Then I move over to his neck and shoulders and start kneading. I can feel him starting to relax and he just sighs in content.

"So, how did it end? I mean: how did you escape the KGB lady?" I ask suddenly. He tenses and I berate myself for asking.

"I'm sorry. If you can't talk about it, I understand," I quickly add. It's silent for a moment and I gently massage on, not sure what to do or say next.

"It's difficult for me to talk about it. After that episode I never trusted a woman to get close to me again, until you. I never had any meaningful relationships after Natalia because I was sure that they were just interested in me because I was in the army and they wanted information from me."

"Ah, the no-relationship rule…" I softly say.

"Yeah, that's from that time," he admits. I continue massaging him and he starts to relax again. I can feel his muscles are stiff from pulling against the cuffs and I work on the knots.

"Mmmhhhh, you are really good at this massage thing," Ranger purrs.

"Thank you. You're really good massage material," I purr back and Ranger chuckles.

After I'm done I gently push Ranger so he is laying on his side. He is half asleep and when I snuggle in to him his arms automatically come around me. He gathers me to him and I feel myself getting sleepy as well. We are silent for a while and I'm thinking Ranger is asleep when I feel him taking a deep breath.

"The KGB captured me and tortured me for some time before I was rescued by a team of Rangers. After 6 weeks of recovery I was declared fit for duty again and left on my first mission with Special Forces three weeks later. Natalia was killed during the rescue. I never told them anything I knew about the mission." He kisses my shoulder and shifts a little. I turn around in his arms and give him a kiss.

"Thank you," I whisper. His arms tighten around me and once again we snuggle up with full body contact.

We are both asleep within minutes.


	38. Chapter 38

Epilogue

We spent 5 beautiful days in my house. In the afternoon sun we would sit outside together on the large decks that surrounded the cabin or walk around the garden with the leaves turning red, yellow and brown, and talk. There was a lot that I wanted to tell her about me and my life. She listened intently, never questioning my decisions or actions. Always touching, always close. We made love like we had never loved before, sometimes slow and sensual, sometimes quick and fiery. Most importantly of all we made love everywhere: living room, bathroom, bedroom, outside and even on the dining room table. Steph said that her view on dining room tables and sex had improved considerably after that. After 5 days we decided to leave our little paradise and return to Rangeman. I am still the owner of a thriving business and she has a job as well.

After 2 months Steph moved in with me. She did it as a surprise for our 4 months anniversary, so I had no hand in it. No pressure, she really wanted it herself. Our stuff looked good together, just like we looked good together.

We had decided that she could bring people to the apartment, but not to the house. She loved the idea of having a little hideout, and the time that we spend there was completely private. She continued working for Vinnie, but on occasion would do jobs for Rangeman too. Her creative mind was a welcome addition to a few complicated cases. And yes, I still paid her in a monetary way for that. I'm a business man, what do you think?

We had heard the news that Morelli was having a new girlfriend, an FBI agent. Apparently they met during a big case and fell in love. I was curious to see how my Babe would react, but she just smiled and said: I hope they are as happy as we are. Couldn't agree more.

Tank and Lula are getting married in 6 weeks. Steph is maid of honor and I'm best man, so the four of us spend a lot of time planning the wedding in my apartment. Lula likes a big wedding as does Tank, so in the end I think half of Trenton will be invited. Afterwards we were laying in bed together and I had asked Stephanie if talking about a wedding made her want to get married again herself. I had always said that I wasn't marriage material, but for her I'd do it. Happily. But she said that she didn't need a piece of paper to prove the love that we had. As always, she was right.

Since it hadn't escaped my attention that she hadn't mentioned anything about not needing a ring to prove our love, I decided to splash out big time for once. She wasn't really into expensive gadgets and image, but I wanted her to have proof of my love in the shape of something beautiful. She was the first woman apart from my mother who really accepted me for who I am. I don't think she realizes how special that is. So I got her the square cut diamond jewelry set that she did a distraction job for. It was elegant and beautiful, just like Stephanie. When I came home to celebrate our 4 month anniversary and found out that she had moved herself in, I couldn't think of a better moment to give it to her. We joked that the ring would be the symbol of our unmarried status, a 'de-gagement' ring in stead of 'en-gagement' ring. Her mother's eyes got huge when she spotted it for the first time, but Steph was quick to explain that this ring was NOT an engagement ring and that there was no wedding that needed to be planned. Actually, she said, it was the sign that we WOULDN'T get married, but simply love each other for the rest of our lives. It took a while, but her mother got the message in the end. As did mine. My family loved her and was extremely happy that I had finally found the love of my life.

Did we ever fight? Sure we did, but we pretty soon got the hang of compromising and discussing it in stead of screaming or demanding. Did I ever doubt my decision to have a relationship with her? No, not even for a second. Did she give me a few heart attacks because of 'incidents' that happened during her take downs. Hell yeah, this is Stephanie we're talking about. But while I'm in our bed waiting for her to come home to find me there as a surprise because I have returned early from a business trip to New York, I'm thinking: would I want that to be different?

Hell no, because this is Stephanie Plum, Bombshell Bounty Hunter and love of my life.

_The end!_


End file.
